Elfen lied: Continuation
by Depth08
Summary: The anime ran for only 13 episodes. Leaving us a cliffhanger to feast upon. This is what would happen if season #2 came out. Carefully taking into account the behavior of each character, this is the continuation of Elfen Lied.
1. Interlude

**1: INTERLUDE**

**Hello dearest reader. This bold text can generally be ignored if you're not a person open to 'small talk'. As opposed to the general part of the story, this text does not contribute to any importance for the story itself. It is merely a mix of my comments and some introduction to what I'm up to.**

**With this first chapter (which in turn is a very short one) I take you on a journey to let you see what it would be like if the anime ran for a second season. For a few reasons. The most important being the fact that, even though it was planned, the anime will never officially get a sequel. The other reason is because I'm so unsettled by the manga (even though it has an end tied to it and it was still great) that I would like to have the cliffhanger in the anime unfold. Is Lucy alive? What happens now?**

**To give you an idea of the primitive storyboarding I've done so far, let's just say this sequel be even more horrid, dramatic, ecchi and funny/cute. It'll get set on a more _global_ scale. I've carefully studied the characters but I feel like it's never enough. On top of that some characters are extremely hard to extrapolate on. It's going to be very challenging to put them into the situations I've planned them to be in. If any OOC's were to occur, sorry for that.**

**I also like to state that there's going to be a project tied to this story once it's finished. I'm an illustrator and would like to get into creating manga. As far as graphic design, it's been part of my life for about 50%. Then again I'm only 21 years of age, non-native English speaker. In all honesty writing this story is a far greater challenge. In a nutshell, I would plan a full-color manga chained with this story. It will be beautiful. Probably the only fan-made manga sequel that will run for quite some chapters.**

**For now I hope you do enjoy this story. I'm fairly sorry about this small interlude. It's more like a hook element. For all the manga fans, sorry. I'm deviating from the manga. I'm completely focusing on continuing the anime from episode 13 off.**

**Enough said, enjoy.**

* * *

Nothing is left anymore. 'Things are said and done', Kouta thought as he made his way back up the steps. But saying goodbye to her, was a bit more than what he thought he could handle.

He shortly recalled to himself, what happened just moments before he turned away.

"Promise me...", Kouta said. "Promise me you won't kill anybody anymore", as the two hugged each other passionately.

Implicitly, Kouta, by saying that, declared that he understood that she was not planning on staying with him. Even though it was hard for him, he eventually let go of her when she loosened her grip on their hug.

"I promise". The hardest thing of them all; the realization of not being able to be with the only boy she actually had feelings for. It twisted her mind, for she disgusted even herself. A vicious killer. How could she have developed feelings as beautiful as those for Kouta?

She closed her eyes, and turned away. Descending the stairs towards her final battle.

As he reached the top of the stairs, he turned around to look if she would still be there. But as expected, all traces of her were gone. Erased. As if she was never there in the first place.

...

MAPLE INN

Ecstatic was a good way to describe the mood Yuka was in. Overly worried and fatigued by stress, she couldn't bear to sit still.

'What were they up to', she thought to herself. The inn was more empty than ever with most of the members being out. Only Mayu sat with Yuka at the table.

The only thing Mayu knew, was Nana's sudden departure paired with her strange behaviour stating that somebody was going to 'kill' her. Having heard that kind of unsettling news when she came back to the inn with some soumen really bothered the two.

"Y-Yuka-san?", Mayu said softly, noticing Yuka's discomfort. Yuka looked up to her. "Yes Mayu?". She answered, not noticing Wanta's barking. Mayu looked up towards the courtyard entrance. 'The keys', she thought. 'They forgot the keys'. She jumped up and stormed towards the front door to open it.

She slid it open and before her stood Kouta, looking kind of sad. "Kouta!", she cried and fell into his arms, hugging him tightly. "Don't leave me like that", she said while in tears.

But Kouta did not seem to be his former self. In fact, he seemed rather different. Something had happened to him. "Are you ok? W-Where Nyuu?". He looked down for a second. Yuka covered her mouth with her hand, anticipating that something horrible must have happened.

But all Kouta could do was step in forward. Something very bad had happened and both Mayu and Yuka knew that very well. But what?

A moment later, the three sat at the table. Discussing what happened.

"Did you find Nana-san?". Yuka asked.

Kouta was really out of words. How should he explain Nyu's sudden departure. How should he explain that, he remembered everything? For the sake of the peace at the inn, he would have to keep this quiet. Who even knows where Nana is.

"Nyu got her memory back. Unfortunately", Kouta mumbled. "She didn't remember me anymore. So I-".

-"Hee? W-What Kouta? Why?".

-"I don't know why! She was suddenly able to talk and all that...".

Yuka's eyes shrunk. "N-No, it can't be!", she said in disbelief to what happened. But Kouta remained still and looked down to avoid eye contact.

"I don't know where Nana is, we never found her".

Yuka and Mayu looked at Kouta, then downwards, sort of feeling sorry for the situation. Suddenly Yuka bursts into tears. "Y-Yuka", Kouta shouts. He goes up to sit next to her. To streak through her hairs. Stroking her caringly.

"I liked her so much. She was like family. Why did she have to leave like this, without goodbye".

Kouta felt something hurt inside his heart, for only he knew the truth. Nyu left because she no longer deserved to be with Kouta for her own account. She had killed his family. But in all honesty, Kouta cared less, because he... loved her. And the longer she was away, the more he started to miss her.

Life in the Inn would just continue from this point. With or without Nyu. Though somewhere in Kouta's heart he was not sure if she'd feel just the same, and eventually return. If she was still alive. She had met him with some serious injuries. One of them being a torn-off horn.

A few minutes later, they get an unexpected, but severely injured visitor! "Nana-san", Mayu shouts when she suddenly spots the girl entering by the courtyard.

Yuka and Kouta storm over. "What a relief", Yuka said. They all went up to her to help her inside. "Those are some heavy injuries", Yuka mentioned. All Nana could murmur was: "Pa-pa". She took her inside while Kouta and Mayu stood there with some sort of relief in their hearts. At least she managed to get back. Her horns instantly reminded Kouta of Nyu.

He tried not to think of it too much, and let life in the inn just flow the way it always did.

...

The day thereafter was a bright and sunny one. Kouta was up very early, which in turn was very unlike him. He sat in his chair, staring dully into the garden.

As Yuka set the table, Kouta noticed something.

"Yuka, there's one bowl too much".

"She would have wanted to eat too", Yuka answered.

When they sat back at the table, it seemed as if life just went on. They turned back to part of their former selves. And enjoyed their food.

"It's delicious", Nana cried out of joy.

It turned quiet for a second...

Nana paused eating, and thought deeply.

"There are so many wonderful things... So many". She sheds a tear before being adressed by Mayu, who got a little worried about her trance-like gaze.

"Nana-san?"

"G-Gomennasai!" she said, being slightly embarrassed.

Kouta is distracted by his own line of thoughts as the rest continue talking, but he suddenly noticed Wanta's barking.

"Oh, I wonder if we're having visitors?", Yuka said.

"I'll go look", Kouta stated, and jumped up.

As he walks into the courtyard, clearly noticing there's a person standing behind the paper slide door, his attention gets caught by the grandfather clock that suddenly started working again.

"It's working?", Kouta remarked, looking in the direction of the clock.

Noticing himself being distracted, he quickly turns around to open the front door, but to his utmost disbelief, the unexpected visitor, was no longer standing there! He could swear there was a person standing there before. Did he imagine it all?

Somewhere in his heart he expected 'her' to return. Not wanting to leave this strange situation as it was, he opened the door anyway to check if there was really nobody standing there. But indeed, it had seemed there was indeed nobody visiting them. Or they had to have at least been good at running away, to get out of sight.

**Could she still be alive? Would she come here if she was? Kouta sighed, and went back inside the inn, to finish his meal with the rest of his family.**


	2. Separated

**Although not pleased by the range of variety used in the dialogs, I hope it reads fluent and quick. I had put quite some work in this chapter getting it right. Trying to give you hints of what the main idea is in this particular 'season' of the story.**

**Thinking of it now, It'd be far more easy getting these things into picture in the planned manga. Yet it's every panel that will have to count. I don't know exactly how to approach the subject at the moment. For now, writing the story down is priority.**

* * *

~"That sad girl from when we were kids and Nyuu too, I love them!".~

~"Kouta!..."~

She turned around, and while not expecting it, Kouta received from her, a kiss. Deep and loving. Sending back to him the numerous memories of the loving moments he shared with her 8 years ago.

~"Please forget about everything. I just wanted to be by your side"~

He looked deeply into her eyes, enchanted by them. Only able to utterly murmur: "Nyuu".

~"All the sad memories I caused you, I'm sorry!"~

~"You too", Kouta replied, "Didn't you make a lot of sad memories too?~

They grabbed each other tightly in a way that entangled their emotions. The warmth of the embrace was of such power, both thought it would last forever. "Promise me...", he said. "Promise me you won't kill anybody anymore".

She let go of him, stepped back, and swore she wouldn't.

~"I promise!"~

Kouta could utter but a word, since he knew, that she would now leave him. There were no arguments to state against that. She had in fact spelled grief upon the young boy 8 years ago by ripping apart his family. All the young boy had. If she wasn't as foolish as a child. She would not damn herself for it now, and maybe even stay with him. That's at least what she thought. But there were things to set right. There were things to un-do. There were things that she needed getting rid of. Namely, herself.

…

Life went on as usual. As Yuka and Mayu did the dishes and Nana took her bath, Kouta sat thinking about Nyuu. Once more he thought to himself, 'Would she still be alive?'. Noticing his own drift of thoughts, he got carried away in, he snaps out and shouts out to Nana.

"Hey Nana-san, don't empty the bath just yet".

"I won't!", she yelled back.

He was sort of becoming more and more the original vivid himself. But with Nyuu not around anymore, you could tell something had definitely changed inside of Kouta. He wasn't the fully original himself after all. Maybe because his behaviour was characterized by the embrace of Nyuu around him. Yuka, being the jealous type, did miss that, against all logic. But she rather missed the side that made Kouta tell Yuka that he also liked her, in his sort of indirect ways.

In his room, waiting for Nana to get out of the tub, he took his time to open the music box once more. The sweet melody rang against his eardrums. He picked up the seashell Nyu gave him, and sighed deeply, closing his eyes. Drowning in a twin memory. Those of 8 years ago, and those of Nyu.

He wondered once more: 'Could she still be alive?'. He felt as if there was something to look out for. Nana came by the door opening of his room. "I left the bath for you Kouta" she said smilingly. For Nana life was really great at the Inn. She finally felt she had a place. "Nana..", Kouta asked. "You said before, you could feel Nyu's presence right?". Nana looked at Kouta, slightly puzzled and noticing him looking kind of sad. She went to sit next to him. "Yes, but not when she's Nyu. Nana hasn't felt her ever since she returned yesterday. She faded away I guess, why?". Kouta sadly looked out in front of him, not really answering Nana.

Nana had heard the story from Yuka. That Lucy-san left. But Kouta asking for her presence made her just check it once more. But then she wondered why he asked it in the first place. If he said that she left, he should be the one most sure of it that she wouldn't be around anymore.

"What truly happened Kouta?", she suddenly asks. Kouta, notably shocked by her unexpected question, generated a drop of sweat on his cheek. He paused for a second. "You know, Nana... Do you think you were born to kill humans?". Nana's heart skipped a beat. 'Why would he ask that?', she thought. Remembering her past at the facility, she can clearly recall security talking about it numerous times. But now, Kouta talks about this too?

"Nana would never want to kill humans", she said stubbornly.

"What are those powers you use, Nana..."

She looked up at him. She clearly knew now something was bugging him. "I promised papa never to kill anybody anymore! So I won't". She flies into tears. "I just wanted to fit in here". Kouta strokes her head. "Hey hey, don't cry now, I'm not asking this because of you". Nana looked up to him, with her eyes still in tears. "H-huh?".

"Yesterday, you showed me you have this strange power. I just wanted to know, where you got that from".

Nana didn't really understand where Kouta was going.

"I-I have this for as long as I can remember". She suddenly remembers her time she spent in the facility. Kouta sighs deeply.

"You know Nana. I lied, about Nyu". Hearing that, she jumped up. "Hee?".

Kouta was dead serious. His heart beated in excess.

"You know, Nana. You must never tell this to anybody. I have known Nyu... for a longer time". Nana looked up into Kouta's eyes. He was still looking dead in front of him.

"When I was 10 years old, something bad happened to me. You remember that right?".

Nana nodded.

"I remembered everything. What it was all about".

Completely shocked, Nana's eyes shook..

"10 years ago I met a strange girl when I went drawing in the mountains not far from here. She had horns, just like you".

"N-No it can't be", Nana said softly, covering her mouth.

Kouta bit his teeth, since the hardest part was yet to come..

"We played together, often. One day we went to the zoo. We really had some fun. You know, I've actually never seen somebody enjoy something as much as she did that day".

"You know Lucy-san for that long already? But what happened after th-". Suddenly Nana figured out what might have happened. Her mouth fell open, as she now realized what grief Kouta was in.

"I really liked her", Kouta continued. "I think she also liked me very much. But I lied to her about my cousin".

"What did you lie about?"

"She asked me whether... Whether my cousin was a boy or a girl. I would be going to the festival with my cousin the last day of the summer. After that I would have to return home".

Nana couldn't get any grip on this sudden story. But she felt as if Kouta needed something.

"So you remembered, and now she can't live here anymore?". Nana asked.

Once again Kouta nodded gently.

"But I don't want her to be away either... Because... I love her!".

Nana felt remorse. Because she couldn't sense Lucy at all. It puzzled her how Kouta, after all Lucy did to him, still keeps it up to say that he loves her. She must have really had a great impact on him, other than killing his family.

"I-I'm sorry", she said. "I don't sense her presence. Normally I would really notice".

The two turned silent for the remaining time.

"Hey Kouta, do you love Lucy as much as you love Yuka?".

"W-what are you on about?", Kouta says shakingly. "I love Yuka in a different way, I guess".

Another episode of silence bit through the room.

"I really hope Nyu is still alive", Kouta promptly states.

Kouta stood up, and went to take his bath. Nana still sat down where she was, to think deeply about it. "Lucy".

…

RESEARCH FACILITY

Chief Kakuzawa stood right in front of his desk, looking out from his ivory tower upon the long stretch of ocean that would reach towards the horizon. His cold gaze as usual. Fixed and down-to-earth.

The silence in his large office was broken by a call.

"Yes, have you found her?".

#"Negative chief! We're still mobilizing all SAT units we can".

"Leave that! We're moving on to another project, those SAT units are worthless anyway".

#"What do you mean?".

"You'll soon see, we're starting our new project from now on. Scramble SAT units and leave the area".

#"... Yes sir!".

…

Midnight at the inn. With most of the members asleep, Nana can't seem to find comfort in her futon. 'I wonder what she used to be 10 years ago. What a coincidence this all! Why?'. She suddenly recalls to herself how lucky she is to be outside of THAT place and now peacefully in a futon at the inn. Feeling a slight thirst, she gets up from her futon and starts roaming around the house.

On her way to the kitchen she notices an amber light coming from the dining room. Peeking inside from the open door, she sees Kouta sit there alone drinking something. Through distraction and sleepiness she lets one of her arms pop out, making it smack on the floor. Kouta suddenly looks up to the door: "Huh?".

"Nana-san? What are you doing up this late?".

"I should be asking you too!", she says.

Being mad at herself for being compromised, she quickly turns around to leave.

"Hey! Nana- W-Wait up for a second".

She turns around again. "Why? I didn't want to bother you".

"It's not that, just I feel like I want to know a bit more... about you".

"H-Heeh?"

Completely surprised at first, Nana thinks it over. 'Nobody has asked me this up until now'.

"Why does Kouta want to know about Nana?".

"Just come sit next to me.. please?". Kouta looked kind of sad and begging. Like he needed some company.

Nana eventually gives in and goes to sit in front of him.

"What do you want to know?", she asks.

"Well, to begin with, for example, where do you come from? How did you know Nyu?"

She hesitates slightly before saying anything. Looks to her side. 'Should I really tell him about that place? I really don't want to talk about that right now'. She looks back at Kouta, who was still keen on getting answers.

"Well, I come from this place. Where it's really dark sometimes. Where they did tests on me. Some of them really hurt Nana-san badly. It's been that way forever. If it wasn't for Papa I'd - .. Papa".

She stares straight through Kouta and tears start flowing.

'Shit', Kouta thought. 'This was not really my intention'.

"T-Tell me about Papa Nana! Mayu mentioned that once. You said you were always at that place. But did your papa never take you home?".

"That place was home for me, because Papa was there. But it turns out he's not my real papa", she answers cryingly.

Kouta's mouth was extended in disbelief. 'What is this place she talks about. What kind of sick shit is this?'. Only reaching the tip of the iceberg Kouta realises there was much more behind everything up until now.

"Where is that place?"

"I don't know, It's an Island somewhere not so far away".

Kouta thought. 'This close?'. '... Tell me more".

Nana gasped.

"O-Ok... " After some silence it came clear to herself, that there was nothing more to it. Only some horrible painful memories she'd rather repress.

"I don't know anything more than that".

"Was Nyu there too?"

"Heh? Lucy? Yes! All the time I could feel her presence. But then she escaped one day..."

Kouta was startled. 'What is this? Why didn't I know this? and.. what's up with her...'

The moment Kouta noticed it, he jumped!

"AArgh! What's up with your arms and legs?".

"Oh these?" Nana uses her vectors to grab them back. "I thought you knew that already".

"No I did no- Hey wait a minute, why did.. How do you move those?".

"With my powers of course", Nana says. As if she was waiting to be praised for it.

"B-But what about your normal legs and arms".

"Oh... About that..." Nana turned kind of sad.

"L-Lucy did this to me..."..

It hit Kouta like a rock. 'No, it can't be. Why would she do this! And I want get her help finding Lucy?'

"I'm sorry Nana! That she did this to you! It's my fault!".

Hearing Kouta's prompt and misplaced apologies, she grew kind of angry.

"It's not your fault at all! You don't know Lucy like I do! She's a killer, she killed a lot of people! She nearly killed me too".

"That's a lie! Nyu would never do such a thing".

"Yes she would! Well not Nyu. But Lucy would", Nana yelled back.

"No! Even Lucy wouldn't! She wouldn't want to do that!".

Both puzzled and upset with each others opinions, the lay back for a second to breathe.

"Maybe she wouldn't, but she did anyway. I've seen her be a real nice person too you know, but I just don't understand her. How could she kill in the first place", Nana says, wondering about her own killing instincts.

Nana actually felt inside an instinct to kill with ease too. She knew for quite some time, but just as humans can repress their instincts, so could she.

"I hear voices", she carelessly states all the sudden.

Kouta's eyes widened.

"What? What do you mean by that?".

"I have this sort of voice, telling me to do stuff. Like... When I'm angry, I should kill who I'm angry at. I wanted to kill Lucy first. Because she tore me apart!".

"You mustn't do that! EVER!", Kouta shouts at her.

Looking kind of freaked out by Kouta's anger, she shouts back.

"I won't I won't! Nana will be a good girl!".

"Good. It's not … that I thought you would kill her anyway. Just wanted to say that".

"This voice... I don't know if Lucy has this too, because she also killed a lot of people. But I choose to ignore it! It's not good to kill people. Papa told me not to use my powers to kill, so I won't".

'What a relief', Kouta thought. He was starting to get afraid of this young innocent looking girl. For her powers would merge with the killing force Lucy used to split apart his sister and father. Thank god she wouldn't use that to make the same mistake.

"Hey Kouta". Kouta looks over back at Nana. Whose shirt was unbuttoned to reveal her curves. "Is it normal that -" -"Aaaah Nana don't show that to me!". -"Huh?" Nana didn't understand at first. At that same instant Yuka woke up entered the room to see Kouta sit in front of Nana holding open her shirt for him.

… SMACK! "Atatata, Yuka it's not what you thought!" -"Yeah right, in the middle of the night too, you perv!".

…

RESEARCH FACILITY

"Welcome gentlemen. We're happy that we have selected you out of all the finest soldiers to become part of this project".

Professor Yukinari, an elderly looking man with a very slim and athletic looking build stands in front of a group men seated down in a classroom-like chamber. He hands out some sheets.

"If you would please be so kind to sign these forms. They will bind you to the agreement of cooperating in this project. From then on you will live here in the facility".

The men looked at the sheet, then back at the professor.

"The facility is brand newly designed and decorated. With the extended dormitories you'll be able to eat, sleep and train right here".

One man lifts his hand up.

"Yes?".

"So what exactly is this project about?".

"What it's about? Haha! It will give you some interesting powers my friend! It will be an extension to allow you to face the diclonii on the battlefield! The anti-diclonius project was designed to capture, and contain any diclonius on the loose! Also with the new technology at hand, there is absolutely no danger involved".

The men look down back at the sheet, and sign it.

"Good then we'll all see you tomorrow in the main atrium downstairs. You are all dismissed for now".

Meanwhile in another part of the facility...

"Professor Kaito! We're ready". A younger looking man, professor Kaito, is collecting shards from a shattered horn that lay on the floor.

"Ok, Aim for the second one and fire when ready".

A machine positions in the large hall, to aim at the diclonius' second horn. Being deeply paralyzed by the previous one shot off, she barely moves.

"FIRE".

A beam waves through the room and smashes into the head of the pink-haired girl. The bone shatters into dozens of pieces.

"S-Shit nothing happened again this time! Why in hells name!".

"Professor! Her vital signs have dropped!".

"Yapari! As I thought. She was too weak. Lucy got shot off two horns, but after the first one, she had survived. She did not fall into any sort of coma or paralysis".

Professor Kaito scratched his chin. 'There must be a way to make them endure that far in. But how?'

…

MAPLE INN

"Kouta get up already". A stubborn Yuka tries getting Kouta to get up earlier. "You shouldn't have played around with Nana last night heh?". -"What are you on about! She showed her breasts to me, I didn't really ask her to-".

Smack! Her foot on his head "Aargh". -"Just get up already stupid!".

A typical scene for a late morning at the maple inn. Mayu and Nana already started some cleaning. Both mobbed the floor in the main hall.

"Hey Mayu... ". Mayu, dusting off the shelves, looked over.

"Can I ask you something?".

"Sure, why not Nana".

"Is it weird for me, to think of boys now and then?".

"Hmm? Umm Nana -"

Suddenly the grandfather clock played. Not used to it's functionality the two girls jump into the air. "UWaaa". The two crawl back up towards the piece. Looking through it's front window at the pendulum.

"She managed to fix it after all?", Mayu thought aloud.

Suddenly Kouta walks up into the hall.

"Yuka! I'm going to the grocery store already!".

Smilingly with a bag in his hand he slipped into his sandals, and left the inn via the courtyard.

'He seems so, cheeful today', Nana thought.

…

Descending the stairs Kouta suddenly thought about Nyu once more. 'Would she still be alive?'. Instead of going straight front after the stairs, he hesitates, and eventually takes the left, down the road, towards the station. He clearly knew where he was going first. A place he should have gone all along in the first place.

Traversing through the woods, Kouta soon finds himself climbing the mountains of Kamakura, where he used to come up to draw. Where he met her.

Ascending on the final hill just next to that temple. He thought to himself: 'Could it be? Would she wait here for me now?'. He notices a few drops starting to fall, but nonetheless continues his approach.

**If she would stand there for him, what would he do? He reaches the top at last. He can see the tree she used to stand by. Every step taking him closer. 'Could it be?', he thought.**


	3. Visitor

**This chapter was written a bit quicker than the rest but it's probably key to more important episodes in the future. Read carefully. Enjoy.**

* * *

_~"Hey Kouta?"_

_~"Y-yes?"_

_~"The cousin you're going with tomorrow, is it a boy or a girl?"_

_Kouta thought for a second. Sensing a possible jealousy rise up, he decided to not tell her the truth._

_~"It's a boy"._

_She blushed and smiled at the same time._

_~"I see! I'll come and see you off at the station tomorrow night!"._

_~"uh?"_

_She says goodbye and shuttles down the stairs. Leaving behind a dumbfounded boy. 'Crap, now there's a chance she might find out after all'._

Kouta reached the top of the hill near the temple. Having not seen this place for about 8 years, it seemingly shrunk in size. He suddenly hears a few bushes shake around the area near the tree. "Huh?".

A head pops from behind the tree he looked at. "Nyuuu...".

"UHH?". Kouta stood frozen, pinned where he stood.

"NYU!", he yells with great joy as he runs over.

The girl, kneeled down before something in front of the tree, partially in tears, was just as Kouta was, happy to see him. He fell down in front of her and hugged her with such tension, she could feel his heartbeat along her own.

"Never ever leave again", he says closing his eyes.

Upon opening them again his attention was drawn to her head. "W-Where are your horns? What happened?".

"Nyu!".

"... umm. Oh boy you returned back to Nyu again".

Upon further inspection he noticed the severity of her injuries. Blood seemed to still flow out. Gently but surely. He gazes out into her eyes as she turns over towards him. He carefully inspects her bruises, just as she starts crying again, probably out of pain".

"Nyyaaa".

'Crap I need to get her back as quickly as possible'.

He tugs her by the arm, but she resists.

"Kouta... look... Kouta!".

"Huh?".

Kouta stares at her as she points down at the tree she sat kneeled in front of.

"N-Nani? What do you want me to see".

She pulls him over, near the stone totem and pulls him down together on both knees. "Look", she says.

Kouta did not really know what to make of it. An urge takes over to rush her back to the inn, just before he catches a glimpse of a reflection underneath the soil.

"W-What's this?". He carefully digs it up to find it was a glass jar with a note inside. Not knowing what to expect next and with Nyu definitely irritated by his slow make of progress, she takes the jar and opens it for him. Handing over to him the note. Just that moment even more tears start flowing. "Kouta...", she mumbles.

He opens the note, which started deteriorating already. 'Must be an old note'. Carefully inspecting it he finds the actual text on the back.

"Kouta x Kaede".

And then his heart stopped.

Not even the cold of all the winters could give him as much chills down his spine as this did. "So your name is... Kaede?".

"Kouta hug! Kouta hug!", she shouts out vigorously.

He pulls her towards him into his loving arms and gives her all the warmth his heart encapsulated. "Please Nyu, never leave me again. Let's go... home!".

…

"Yuka!", Nana shouts.

"Yes? What's wrong?".

"What's taking Kouta so long, he was supposed to be back already... I'm so hungry".

Just before Yuka could grunt one complaint about that, they heard Wanta bark and notice movement around the courtyard. Quickly running over, as if already sensing something was going on, she moves up to the front yard and sees Kouta carrying Nyu inside. Yuka dropped the clothing she was getting ready to iron on the ground, entering a state of shock.

"Y-You... You found her!".

Meanwhile Nana and Mayu storm up.

Everybody embraced Nyu to some extent, but Yuka, noticing her injuries, did not really know what to do.

"Kouta, those are really severe. We should go to the hospital".

"I would want to Yuka, but... We can't it's too risky. Let's take her inside and stop that bleeding".

Carefully they drag her into a room to lay her on a futon. Meanwhile Nana and Mayu get a bucket of fresh water. Yuka already arrives with bandages while Kouta tries to keep Nyu calm who seems to feel the tension in the air rise.

"Lay still now...", he says with a lovingly soft voice. He cupped her cheek and she blushed, smiling faintly in his direction. Her eyes half-closing.

"She's slipping away damn it!". Kouta picks the bucket and pours it over her.

"Kouta! Not like that!", Yuka shouts out.

"Nyuu ~hic Nyuu". She coughed back some of the water. "Get me more water", Kouta shouted to Mayu and Nana.

A moment later they carefully bandage around her horn-regions. Stopping the blood at once. She had other cuts and bruises but they did not matter as much as the main deal around her head.

Kouta wound and extra bandage around her head just to be sure. After the job was done, and Nyuu fell asleep, both Yuka and Kouta drop to their backs. Exhausted by the emotion alone.

"Geez I've never been this worried for a guest before in my life", Yuka remarks.

"Neither have I", Kouta said.

Later that evening Kouta remained by Nyu's futon. Her fever had gone up again. Her head throbbing. She had woken up several times. Each time seeing him again. She peaked up to him, then slipped out of consciousness again.

…

The next morning she was doing better, still a bit weak, but smiling to say the least.

"Here Nyuu", Yuka says as she enters the room with breakfast. "You need to eat a lot, else you will not regain power, ne?".

"Nyuu!", she said with her sparkling eyes, commencing to feast upon all the great food Yuka brought in.

"Geez, you must have been really hungry Nyu".

Kouta also enters the room. "Oh she's awake already".

Nyu pauses her meal. "Kouta!".

"Easy easy, hehehe, now be good and eat your breakfast".

"Nyuuuu". As usual her cheerfulness was painted onto her face. It made Yuka and Kouta smile to see her this happy. It was like a dream for Kouta. He had been contemplating her return for the past few days, and now here she was, being happily served by them. Nothing could break the positive flow of energy emerging from Kouta.

…

RESEARCH FACILITY

"It is now time to get you acquainted with your main weapon gentlemen, your suit".

Professor Yukinari walks up to a booth and displays the outfit.

"Loaded with tons of great features, this suit literally extends your limits beyond what could be considered humane. You become a weapon yourself. The features are endless, but we'll go through them... Well, detail by detail".

"To sum up a few features, such as vector simulation or deflection, you also have a complete hydraulically driven joint mechanism that helps you jump incredible distances. All of which is calculated by a computer that knows a GPS-specific location of where to jump to. Yep, this suit has all that. Literally at your fingertips".

He walks away from the booth, weaves over an assistant, whispers something to him, then walks back.

"It is now time for you to try on these suits".

…

Mayu and Nana took Wanta for a walk. Yuka still had to go to the grocery store, since Kouta skipped it. Kouta thus sat alone with Nyuu, who was getting better by the day. She was once again playful until suddenly...

"Nyuu... Bath!".

Kouta swallowed. 'God no please not this again'.

"We'll have to wait for Yuka to return, hehe, Nyuu".

But no matter how cheerful Kouta tried to keep her, she started getting sort of angry.

"Nyu! Nyu! Bath!". Noticing a lower tone in her voice, Kouta sighed.

"Guess it can't be helped".

'What am I thinking, I can't do this', he thought to himself.

But a more willing Nyuu was already getting rid of her clothes in front of him, much to his dismay.

"nn-aaAAH! Nyu keep those on, please!".

"Nyuuu!", she said cheerfully, not planning on stopping.

She ran off towards the bathroom butt-naked before Kouta could even notice, once again, much to his dismay.

"Nyuu? Where are you now!". He ran up towards the bathroom, where indeed a much more creative Nyuu had managed to get the water running.

"There, you can do it yourself, see? No need for me".

Her smile turned into a curled lip upon hearing Kouta uninvited himself to her foam-party.

"Kouta! Bath! Together". She took a long towel and wound it around Kouta, running around him three times.

"D-Damn she's getting smart now?", Kouta said as he started feeling captured by her.

The permanent smile on her face was a display of a naughty girl, giggling as she rolled him into a sausage. After she finished her masterpiece she couldn't help but think it was a good idea to hug him at this point.

"Nyuuuuuu!", she said as she held him very tightly, squeezing her sized breasts against his back. He could feel her soft curves even through the towel.

"N-Naandee?", Kouta asked cryingly. Standing near the bath, and with Nyu being kind of reckless in her hugs, they lost balance, and plunged into the water.

"Nyunyunyu", she cried out in pleasure.

"Blrlbbrlblrblr", is all Kouta could say as his face was just half under water. She had her arms tucked around his neck. (With her breasts actually pushing by his ears) and keeping him like that".

She seemed to be amused by Kouta's disability to speak, once again much to his dismay.

After a while he manages to push up and surface, breathing in all the air he missed, but throwing Nyu under water to the back.

Kouta looked around. "Huh? Where is she?".

A few bubbles rose from his left, and between the foam suddenly a pink-haired monster got up. "Nyaaaa", she said. She was indeed pretending to be a monster right now, hunting Kouta, who was in such a state of discomfort that he actually preferred to just drop his head under water before she could finish him.

Trying to hide, Kouta suddenly feels something grab him up with quite some force. Surprised by her strength Kouta gets kind of scared of the situation he's in. He now sits kneeled close to Nyu. She was unusually calmed down suddenly. She blushed. Kouta could figure out why as he felt something sit on his right knee. She closed her eyes and started jerking forward against his knee, clearly feeling the pressure against her crotch. She started moaning a bit.

"A-aahhh", Kouta cried out very quietly as he was in such a weird situation right now. With nyu seeming to enjoy herself rubbing against him, he froze and freaked out in complete silence, not daring to move an inch.

"Nya Nyu Nyu". It was too much for Kouta. He wanted out but suddenly she held him back, and kissed him.

She closed her eyes, but Kouta's only opened more widely. He had kissed her before but not in this kind of context. This was so perverted. He quickly collects his courage and pushes her out of the kiss, and runs out of the bath.

"Nyuuu", she moaned sadly. Without much words Kouta could translate that to: "Please don't leave me". In his mind he suddenly remembers how he never wanted her to leave him.

He thinks deeply, but takes on a more responsible role. "Now Nyu, I won't go away just yet, but let me wash you while we're here".

"You got your bandages soaked now. That's not good is it".

He scrubs off her back while Nyu seems to have lost her arousal, simply forgetting it.

"Now let's dry you off quickly".

Kouta stands ready with a towel outside the bath the dry her off, but with his eyes closed, so he would not see her private parts (even though he felt most of them in the foam party they just had a few minutes ago).

She was hesitating to step out of the bath at first.

"Quickly now, come you, just do it, before Yuka arrives".

Bad timing. Yuka heard only just that last sentence as she opened the bathroom door.

SLAP! "... N-Nande!". "Can I leave the house with you two not doing anything perverted all the time?". -"Yuka! It's not like that, its.." SLAP. "aaaghh, whyy?".

…

RESEARCH FACILITY

A few men in their blue armoured suits jump up to 2 stories high from platform to platform. Professor Yukinari observes their progress with care.

"As I thought, the suit is so intuitive, that even with a steep learning curve, nothing is a challenge".

He walks over to a control panel and throws a switch, then talks via the speakerphone.

"Ok, abort this current task, it's time for a new lesson", he speaks in.

As the men jump downwards and gather around the professor, he hands them out sheets with their current test results.

"As you can see, you are performing much better than we had expected. Therefore we move over to the next test".

He signals the pack to follow him up to the large metal door in the atrium. Up until now it was never opened and had triggered some curiosity in the men.

As he punches a few buttons on the side control panel, the professor starts explaining.

"This part of the training we will focus on getting to know the enemy".

The large doors slowly opens leading them into a dark long chamber, with a huge reactor-like contraption standing in the middle.

"This, my fellow men, is the vector master 2000 X". He puts on his readers glasses as he browses through a few of the sticky notes on his clipboard.

"The X stands for the fact that it's the latest version, and final build. This, my friends, is only just scratching the surface of what a real diclonius' power can do. Can you see how big this machine is? Do you realise the power and effort required to make this beast replicate just one vector?".

The men swallowed, since they, at the time being, had never encountered anything like a vector before. They only heard the harsh and horrid stories of what they did to many and a lot.

The room lit up with spotlights from the floor up. A warm hum announced the introduction of power to the reactor.

Professor Yukinari travels over to a control panel and once again relies on a local speakerphone.

"Ok, if you would please stand behind the yellow lines?- Yes thank you". The men suddenly notice a striped yellow danger-indicating line in front of them. A few pushes on many buttons suddenly made an elevator rise up from the floor, releasing... a cow.

"Now watch carefully as I demonstrate to you..." A warmer hum spooled up. "... the powers of vectors!".

SQUASH. The cow was severed into two as the sharp vector cut it away. Splashing the men with droplets of blood.

"Now you!" Yukinari points at a man from the pack. "Yes you there". A random man looks at his mates. "Did he mean me?". Then one of them pushes him forward to stop him from hesitating.

"Step into the zone, behind the yellow line".

The man swallowed his courage in, then slowly stepped into the killzone.

"Don't be afraid now, you're not going to die...".

The warm hum spools up again. "... at least not instantly". The man in the zone suddenly got scared.

SMACK!

There he flew off in the air. In one piece and his suit maneuvered to land softly.

"There! Vectors with powers below 780 joules, which is above average, cannot cut you into pieces! Your suit has an electrostatic coating, which sort of deflects the vectorial matrix around you. In a nutshell, you might have a second chance if you managed to get hit by your enemy".

They all look down at their suit. One of them strokes over it, revealing sparks from the coating. The guinea-pig inside the killzone sweated in excess as he returned to his mates.

"Did it hurt?", one of them asks him as he arrives. He nodded no, but he was acting tough. Of course a force of over 500 joules on his body hurt, but at least he was alive enough to act it away.

"Now listen up. You, in your suit, have the vector master 900 B. This particular model is a prototype, we shrunk it to it's absolute minimum. It cannot cut or squash anything, but it's good enough to intimidate your enemy making them think your vectors outrange theirs. Yes the vector master 900 B was made to have a range of 20 metres. This outreaches all the other diclonii in this facility".

He quickly activates something from the console, and suddenly a spotlight lights up to illuminate a ragdoll close to where they stood.

"To control your vector, use the internal joystick near the gyro-control. Your visor will give you information and aid you in grabbing things in your environment. I've labeled the doll as target, you can immediately snap to a target from 20 metres distance if your team has targeted them for you. Try it".

The men all try out their vector, but play around sluggish with it. Only a brighter member manages to grab and slew around the doll.

"Excellent! Progress is being made".

…

MAPLE INN

It was getting late and the members were getting ready to sleep. Mayu and Nana giggle away as they walk down the hallway past Kouta, while Yuka finally undoes Nyu's bandages.

"H-Heeh?", Yuka cried. Curious to what's going on Kouta walks over. "What's wrong?".

Yuka, having undone Nyu's bandages, now revealed that the horns, had simply grown back, in such a small time-span. It puzzled them. They also seemed shaped longer than before.

Nyu yawns, not even noticing Kouta and Yuka being worried.

"She's been like Nyu for a long time too now", Kouta remarked.

They tuck her in like a mother and father, and leave her to sleep.

"Let's go get some sleep too now, Yuka", Kouta said looking at Nyu fall asleep. Yuka smiled. Feeling as if they were really like what Mayu pointed out. A mother and father in charge of their little family. A loving family.

As all the members slept, Kouta was suddenly awoken from what seemed an earthquake. With the ground shuddering underneath him he stumbles towards the hall in all shock, not knowing what was going on.

"Yuka!? Daijobu? Are you ok?". He looks over to Nyu's chamber and suddenly as he did, a bright white light emitted from it. He ran over and the suddenly

BANG!

The paper door blew open and flew into Kouta's direction. Hitting him in the face. Then everything turned quiet, only to hear Nyu's crying.

"Nyu are you ok?", Kouta shouts and runs over to her room. There were holes along the walls on each side. Yuka, Mayu and Nana soon followed over.

Kouta held the crying Nyu in his hands. She suddenly stops and looks him dead in the eyes with a most deadly gaze. "H-Huh?". Suddenly the light came back and shone red like an aura around her body. A few hands were now visibly emerging from her back. All the members were frightened like hell upon seeing this, quickly checking whether this was a nightmare or not.

"No! It can't be!", Nana yells as tears form in her eyes.

**One of the hands enters Kouta's head. Kouta clearly felt that, causing slight headaches when he moved not even an inch. Then Nyu starts crying again and says: "Goodbye Kouta".**


	4. Monster

**I've been working a lot on this chapter, even though it's not really ****_that_**** big. I noticed an error in chapter 2. Where Kakuzawa gets a call from his new assistant, he seems surprised by Shirakawa's and Isobe's death. But in episode 13 it's seen that Isobe already informed him about Shirakawa's fate. I corrected this and simply removed the new assistant character Misaki. Now he just talks to what seems a member of the SAT, to retreat. Giving way to his special team project.**

**This chapter in general is very important, marking the start of a pivoting point in the storyline. Some of you might not like it, but it's key to further events.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

_She roamed past the many stalls that portrayed the general image the Kamakura festival gave off. But none of that could even entertain her to the slightest. A more intense feeling of instinct drew her to seeking Kouta. An instinct called: being in love._

_~"Stupid! Not here!", she suddenly hears. Turning her head towards where it came from, she soon knew why it drew her attention in the first place. She recognized his voice. Kouta's voice. But unlike she expected, with another girl. Her heart both raged and cried over the sight._

_~"But I don't wanna be away from you until next summer!"._

_~"Come on, stop crying!"._

_'Why', she thought. The instant changed her heart as if injected with a viscous purple-violet venom. Not only had it opened the gate to a more monstrous part of her consciousness, it broke her heart and mind, seeing Kouta liking another girl. She could have cried just there and then, but something... something inside her made her think otherwise. Something inside her started emerging, growing to it's full potential._

_… ~'Liar'._

* * *

"Goodbye Kouta".

"H-Huh?".

A bright pale reddish light filled the chamber and Kouta soon found himself lying on the ground. His ears plagued by a tinnitus ring.

"K-Kouta! KOUTA!".

His hearing soon came back as he heard Yuka call him. "W-What is it?", he replied. He slowly got up from his former position. Still a bit disoriented, he looks up at Yuka

"You've been sleeping late again, silly!".

"Huh? So it was a dream after all?".

Yuka frowned. "What do you mean dream?".

Kouta shook his head in disbelief. "How's nyu? - ".

Yuka looked down for a second.

"Umm well, about that...". Kouta frowned. "Uh?"

"Well she's got her fever back again", Yuka says. Slightly skew-faced.

…

RESEARCH FACILITY

Professor Kaito, head of the diclonii study and research team was in his office busy writing his weekly report. As always punctual and without errors.

"

We're making progress. The diclonii seem to require maturity to endure the removal of their horns. As we've tried our experiments on many of the younger girls, we've been able to conclude that they should at least be 15 of age or older.

Because of the lack of such specimina we've asked another sector of the facility, mainly occupied with the biological process, to set us up with a few diclonii. As far as I know we were promised 8. We have one girl with only one horn and she's still alive and not paralysed as far as we know.

The vector matrix detector noticed a drop in activity. The frontal lobes seem to have swollen severely, but we can't move in to stop the swelling and bleeding, for we don't know what would happen if we tried that. Are her vectors working? I would like to be able to say that removing the second horn would disable their vector capability. Thus rendering the current diclonius on the loose, useless. We're gladly awaiting the 8 specimina we've been promised.

Professor Kaito

"

As he shuts his computer off, an assistant walks up to him. "Professor, I have to show you something!".

The professor gets up without asking what it was and followed his assistant to his desk.

"Look at this". He points at a screen showing a ct-scan of the diclonius they were working with.

"She is healing at such incredible rate, and without treatment. This truly is fascinating".

Kaito chuckled, then went to take a closer look.

"Fascinating, get ready to shoot off that second horn by tomorrow!".

"P-Professor, she might be healing … B-But she's still very weak-"

"Just do it, we're running behind on our schedule after all!".

…

Meanwhile at the anti-diclonius sector of the facility, professor Yukinari finalizes his training program.

"My dearest members, the time has come for me to show you something important".

As he steps off, implying the men to follow him, he makes a gesture to the guard at a large sealed door to open it up for them.

As it opened, it revealed a control room with tons of screens and equipment, and a crew already monitoring them.

"This is the control room from which we will be working with you closely. With your suit's vector matrixing ability, it can detect a vector matrix from just a few miles away".

One of the men raised his hand slowly. "Yes what is it?".

"What is a vector matrix?", he shyly inquires.

"You don't know that? You've been in this training program for this long and still don't know about that?".

But to the professor's surprise, all the others were equally unfamiliar with the term.

Upon letting out a sigh of frustration, the professor explains:

"Basicly vector matrices are generated around a diclonius which roughly extends their 'reach' with about 300-400 metres. The actual phenomenon on it's own is simply some jittered electromagnetic dispersion. We don't know why. It's just there. When two diclonii are placed within each other's reach, the energy sort of interacts with one another. We built some sensory equipment that picks up general strings of energy from this matrix. This way we can get a fix on their location, when we are within range".

Before handing over his clipboard to his assistant, which he usually never does, he finally puts off his reader glasses.

"Gentlemen, the time has come for your deployment!".

…

MAPLE INN

It's a beautiful morning and the members in the inn are sitting together for breakfast. All except for Nyu.

Mayu thinks deeply. "Umm, so.. How's Nyu getting along?", she asks.

Yuka looks up kind of worried. "Hmm, well she still has her fever. About that, it's been a long time since I-".

"I'll go check on her", Kouta suddenly states, and stands up, irritating Yuka slightly.

Nana keeps feasting upon everything on the table as usual, but is clearly distracted from her surroundings as Mayu notices her hunger.

"Geez Nana-san, careful, you might choke on something", Mayu says smilingly.

"Hey, I'm not that clumsy", Nana replies and giggles.

Meanwhile Kouta opens the door to Nyu's room.

'She's still asleep. Best leave her alone then'.

He goes a little closer to look at her, and smile, when suddenly, she slowly opened her left eye.

At the table Nana kept vigorously eating away when suddenly she felt something crop up in her, and in all her shock, she spewed what she ate out towards Mayu.

"EWAAA, NANA-SAN".

Kouta cups Nyu's cheek as she slowly awakes. "K-Kouta".

"Hey-Hey, easy now Nyu, keep resting", he says cheerfully.

But she seemed more in sort of panic. "Kouta!".

"N-Nani? What is it?".

She lifts up from her futon, grabs her horns. "What happened!", she shouts out.

"Uhh? What do you mean?".

She thought deeply to herself. 'What am I doing here?'.

"I blacked out again".

"Hee?", Kouta said.

But suddenly she felt something grow inside her.

She mumbles something, but seems to lose her power.

"Hey now, just lay down, we have to get that fever down!".

"Kouta! If I were to hurt you.. Please don't hesitate!".

"What are you saying! Just get some sleep now... Kaede".

Upon hearing him saying her true name, she blushed, closed her eyes and fell asleep again.

…

A few days pass by, but her fever does not seem to be going down too easily. Moreover, she remains unresponsive for most of the time.

"Shouldn't we be taking her to a hospital Kouta?".

But every time the request rose up, Kouta generally denied the thought of even bringing her out in public these days. The day he went to go after Nana really freaked him out.

Yuka also noticed Kouta whispered the name "Kaede". But she wasn't sure if she heard it correctly. She herself was very worried, but Kouta seemed to be torn apart by seeing Nyu like this.

It was only in one of the evenings they least expected it, something horrible happened. When Kouta was about to just check on her one last time before going to bed, he had noticed, to his great shock, that she was in fact not there anymore!

"Yuka-san! Come quickly!".

The two looked at her empty futon in most disbelief. But Kouta turned away and ran outside.

"Kouta, wait up!", Yuka yelled.

Then suddenly Mayu came around. "Umm, guys are you looking for Nana too?".

"Hee?", Kouta shouted.

"She's not in her bed as I expected, it was empty when I entered the room. I thought she was taking a bath..."

"Damn! What's going on!", Kouta shouts.

"Ok, Mayu, you stay here while me and Yuka go search her, good?".

Mayu nods, and the other two fly off into the dark night.

…

Nana ran constantly. Keen on catching up with Lucy. Remembering that horrible feeling as she exited her bath. She felt Lucy. But there was something different. Something ferocious about her. Something was clearly not right. The days before she sensed Lucy, weakly fading away. But this signal was so strong it startled her in every way.

Then there she stood. Looking down on her, Lucy. She was wandering slowly downhill by the street. Nana didn't feel she was 'noticed' by her yet. But she took careful distance. 'What's up with her! She was nearly unconscious all that time and suddenly she walks around like this?'.

To Nana's dismay, a car, oncoming Lucy's direction, had to brake hard. Smearing the road with rubber. "Oy, what's up with you, can't you use the sidewalks up there?", the annoyed driver yells at her. Nana was afraid. She felt something about Lucy's presence, that made her worry about this particular situation.

Then suddenly, the car gets lifted up. "Aaaah, what the fuck is this". Then gets smashed into oblivion. A thousand pieces fly away as the thing crashes into the walls next to the road with incredible speed.

Nana was determined. She had to do something quick, so she jumped down to interfere.

…

"Nyuuu? Nyuuu!", Yuka yells as they run down around the area. Having run for about 30 minutes flat now, Kouta sits down to catch some breath. "It's useless". Yuka stops and turns around towards him. Kouta lets down a tear. "We've lost her...".

"Kouta! Come on now, you know how she always returned before", Yuka says. Trying to cheer him up.

"It's not like that now", he answers. "It's not like that at all! She's not Nyuu anymore".

"Uh?". Yuka frowns.

"She's...". Kouta pauzes.

Then the two hear something like an explosion.

"What was that", Yuka yells.

Kouta jumps up, "Let's check it out".

…

"STOP", Nana shouts, interrupting Lucy's further destruction of the car that 'bothered' her. She stopped, still facing her back towards Nana. When she turned around towards her, Nana was shocked to see that her eyes, had shifted into a purple-like color. "W-What the..", she murmurs.

"What did you say?", Lucy said.

"I said stop it!". Still determined, after all this time, that her words would change people's minds.

"You're a pretty girl...", Lucy chuckles.

Nana, clearly surprised by her weird answer, bites her teeth.

"...Too bad I'll have to rip your beauty apart now".

Her vectors emerge at light-speed towards Nana, who barely escapes where they blow into the ground, reducing it to a dust-cloud that rushes upwards.

Just then Kouta and Yuka run around the corner. Finding the two. "Nana what's going on here!".

But before she could answer, and through her distraction, Nana received a full hit from one of Lucy's vectors. Blowing her into the wall she stood in front of.

"NANA-SAN", Yuka yells and runs up towards her.

"No Yuka", Kouta shouts and takes her by her arm and pulls her backwards. Kouta knew of the strange power. He saw it before. That day. And Nana showed it to him too. He knew that something was different about Kaede too.

When he looked up to her, he realised what it was. Her eyes were different. 'What in hell's name'.

But before he could think any further, she jumped up into the air towards where Nana crashed.

Yuka looked in disbelief. "Nyu.. can fly?".

"That's not Nyu Yuka", Kouta yells and pulls her back even more.

"What are you saying Kouta, we have to help them...".

"YUKA". Kouta holds her in front of him to look deeply into her eyes.

Meanwhile Lucy approaches Nana, laying on the floor. Her head was bleeding severely, as it took most of the impact.

"W-Who are you", Nana asked.

Lucy grinned. "You should know that by now".

Nana opened her eyes widely. 'No it can't be. It's THAT. It has taken her over?'.

Then she feels Lucy's vectors grab her by her throat, choking her.

"You should be happy I'm killing you like this. I'm just not in the mood to see your flesh, when you're such a beautiful girl".

Just then Kouta ran over. "HEY LEAVE HER".

"Huh?". Lucy turned around. Only to be greeted by a slap in her face.

"I told you not to kill anybody anymore. And yet here you are! You promised me something and broke it already?".

Lucy smiled. "Hah. You think I promised that? That foolish girl did, giving up her sole purpose. I couldn't let that happen".

Kouta couldn't really understand.

"Kouta!", Nana shouts as she gets up. "RUN AWAY, IT'S NOT LUCY!".

Lucy turns back to Nana, and pushed her back into the wall with her four vectors.

Nana used her vectors to countermeasure Lucy's attacks, but felt them being stopped by her vectors. 'Even more hands?', she thought. 'She has 8 already?'.

Then, another few vectors grabbed loose stones from the wall, and repeatedly started throwing them at Nana's head.

Kouta watched it happen in front of him once more. Something dear to him was being destroyed by her. Again. Stone after stone. He couldn't bear to watch no more.

He ran up and pushed her to the ground. "STOP IT ALREADY". But unlike before, it didn't bring her back. In fact she smiled. "Is this the boy she was so keen on seeing all that time?" Kouta looks down on her in disbelief, as she gets up on her feet again. "You... were nothing but a waste of time".

It started getting clearer. If Nyu was another personality, then the person in front of him, must also be. Her eyes were also different in color, which freaked Kouta out even more. But then he felt something grab his arms and legs. As he was being lifted up into the air, he felt something pull outwards. Then all the sudden he gets plunged back to the ground, crashing him into the concrete.

It set him into a more drowsy state. Suddenly remembering Kaede tell him: "Kouta! If i were to hurt you...".

Upon getting up, much to Kouta's dismay, Yuka ran in as well. "Kouta!".

"Stay away Yuka!".

But it was too late, Yuka too, received a full blow into her stomach from one of Lucy's vectors. Just then when she was about to finish her, Nana's vectors push Lucy away and press her into the wall.

"I have a longer reach than you, so don't try anything funny", Nana says.

But it only made Lucy grin. And just then a set of purple-colored hands emerge from her back.

'You can see them?', Nana thought.

Yuka and Kouta seemed to see them too. "What the -". Just before Yuka would say they looked beautiful, their true destructive force landed upon Nana, outreaching what she had anticipated. Throwing her away downhill. Leaving her to slide 20 metres on harsh asphalt.

Just before Kouta could shout out, he sees the violet hands approach him. Their touch scorched his skin. The temperature was so high. They pulled him, making him fall onto his back, and then sliding him towards her feet.

He couldn't help but cry in fear. "K-Kaede! Please don't -". But just then he feels her vectors twitch his fingers, breaking them!

"AARRRGGH".

She positioned herself to stand right above him. "I'll break every bone in your body, just as you broke her heart. A pity she isn't here to enjoy it".

"...S-She wouldn't...!".

"What did you say now? I thought I heard you say something".

She lifts Kouta up with one vector, by the throat, choking him. "... I-tai..."

Kouta looked down behind Lucy. Where Nana lay, motionless. To his left, Yuka too stopped moving from where she collapsed to the floor. Tears came into his eyes. 'Is this how it ends Kaede? When are you coming to save me. Nyu... Nyu help... me'.

And then he plunged to the street, feeling that Lucy had lost her grip on him. She stood in front of where he lay, covering her eyes.

Then out of the blue, what seemed a million ruby-red hands emerge from her back out into the night sky. Kouta looked up in disbelief. It was her, he was sure of it. As if thinking about her, had summoned her.

She removed her hands from her eyes, and revealed how they regained their original ruby color. But as soon as she came to her full consciousness, she slipped away again, and fell to her knees. "... Nyu".

Nana opened her eyes. In complete state of pain, she noticed the previous presence, was gone. However, and still alarmed, she felt Lucy's normal presence appear. She turned around and noticed how her legs were bleeding intensely. Flesh scraped from the asphalt. She started crying in panic.

"Kouta...", Kaede uttered.

"..." Kouta did not say anything.

Kaede looked around her. A scene of destruction. Then back at him. She was completely destroyed by this herself. She knew very well this would happen. Her conscious mind was falling apart for some time now. It was split once more. Giving way to a darker part of her. She knew Kouta would fall to her destructive force. But this signed away the peace she was hoping for, forever.

She looked down in utter shame to what she had done, even if she herself wasn't responsible for it. Kouta, stood up, holding his left hand, which she had broken the index and middle fingers of.

"After all this...", he said. "... After all what we've been through. After what you've promised... Unforgivable".

She gaped in shock. Tears rolled down her face as every second the realization became clearer. This was it. It's over for good. She screwed it up. But all she could do was start crying aloud. She held her hands onto her horns, damning them, damning herself! She shortly recalls herself saying "What's wrong with this magician... Why can't I save this girl's life", instantly recalling all her sad memories, caused by those horns, by her difference to the rest, by her rotten childhood. "If you're miserable, you only need something more miserable than yourself".

'But what am I? Am I really a monster?'. She suddenly finds herself in the dark-purple void of her own mind. Appearing in front of her, the dark entity. "You know he doesn't love you anymore. It's over", she chuckled. "You're lonely now. All alone. Forever. There's no place for you in this world. What did you think anyway? With those horns". 'That voice again', she thought. 'I'm not going to talk to it'.

"All you have to do is kill and destroy, with your powers this world will bend to your own liking". She suddenly feels an urge in her stomach. Just like a sexual urge, but yet this urge's purpose was to kill. 'Maybe I should...'. But before anything else happened, the purple-hazed void turned more ruby, and another entity appeared. It was bright of light, and did not speak like the other voice did and rather used the language of intent. 'What is that'. She felt all the depths of her mind warm up again. Yet then again, the voice fought back. She watched how it happened as if in front of her. But the voice, in her mind, left her alone. '... Nyu'.

She snapped back, still on her knees. Kouta still looking down to the ground, avoiding to look at her.

"Kouta... I-I'm sorry".

But a less forgiving Kouta did not seem to pick up on that. He turned around, and ran towards Yuka. Kaede looked up to the night sky. 'This... Why'. She got up on her feet, and walked away, not noticing Kouta watching upon her.

"Yuka, are you ok?". She slowly opened her eyes. "Kouta!".

"It's ok Yuka, everything is over now".

But all Yuka could do was let out a tear. "Nyu... Why did she do this".

"Easy now, let's go back first".

Kouta helped her get on her feet and held her arm around his shoulder.

"U-Uh? Where's Nana?".

…

Kaede further roamed the streets, nearly running into trash bins as the tears in her eyes blurred her vision. What she hadn't yet noticed, was that her follower, Nana-san, had been sneaking up on her.

She halted, and sat down at a nearby bench, covering her eyes. Nana approached, deliberately blowing her own cover.

"Huh?". Kaede noticed her approach.

Then Nana stood in front of her. With her body severely injured, looking angry.

"Go ahead. You can kill me if you want to. It doesn't matter to me anymore".

Nana, who hadn't expected that answer, tried to further scare Kaede with her intentions.

"If you're like that, I might as well just kill you quickly".

"...". Kaede didn't answer, she looked down to her feet. Nana summoned her vectors. Grabbing a blood vessel inside Kaede's head. "I'll just do it quick and painlessly", she said determinedly. But to her greater surprise, Kaede seemed ready for it. Carelessly breathing her last breaths, crying her last tears. "Ok, I'm going to do it now", Nana then said. As if she was afraid to actually do it. Yet again, not one twitch of response was seen from Kaede. It surprised Nana.

"Didn't you make a lot of bad memories too Nana?", Kaede said.

"Huh?".

Waiting for an explanation that never came, Nana grew angry.

"It's not like you're the victim here!".

"It's not like that... But in THAT place, didn't you too, make a lot of horrible memories?".

Nana halted. 'What's with her all of the sudden'.

"Didn't you wish, you never had horns, and lived happily and normally with a family?".

Nana thought about Papa.

"Papa...", she mumbled.

"I might wish that, but it's not like that! I have family! It's Kouta, Yuka, and Mayu".

"You're lucky. You can live the life that... I cannot", Kaede said, still looking coldly out to her front.

"Lucy...".

Nana started feeling pity for her. She went to sit next to her.

Then it was quiet for some time.

"Hey, Lucy. That person back then, it was that right?".

Kaede looked up at her, shocked. 'How does she … ?'.

"How did you know?".

"It didn't feel like you", Nana calmly said.

Lucy didn't sense as much as Nana did. She was sure about that thus far. She hadn't even noticed Nana was on to her just a few minutes ago. Maybe because she wasn't in full control of herself anyway.

"Do you... have that voice... too?", Kaede asked.

Nana looked at her.

"My whole life I've been in that place. Never before have I been out here. In there I had papa. But out here I'm all alone now. This voice has been calling for revenge, but every time I would listen to Papa, because he loved me!".

Kaede looked at Nana too now.

Nana continued: "Don't you have somebody that loves you too? Just listen to them, and forget about the voice".

"It's not like that", Kaede answered. "With these new horns I feel like I'm not in control anymore. It's a true nightmare".

Suddenly she feels Nana's hand touch hers. "Huh?".

"Love and happiness is what killed the voice for me. I really think it's what you need".

But Nana never really had a voice in her head. Something dark emerged inside her every time she was reduced or angry by another person. Like Bandou or some of the security in the facility. She hadn't a clue of how 'developed' it was in Kaede's case. Little did she know that Kaede actually had it pester herself. As if it was more a result of insanity caused by her broken childhood.

"Do you... like Kouta?".

Kaede's eyes sharpened. THAT name. Him. She thought about him once more. Looked down as she gaped hearing his name. 'Kouta'.

"There's no way I can be together with him anymore".

Nana looked down.

"You know. One night he talked about you to me".

Kaede looked in surprise. "Uh?".

"He told me, that he really liked you. I don't think he would give up on you just like that. Just because of this situation. He would never forget about you".

"But... I nearly killed you, and... -".

"That wasn't you. I think he knows that too".

"So, do you really think he would..."

Just then Nana gets a huge cramp in her stomach. Her pupils contract to their absolute minimal size. "What's wrong?", Kaede asks. But she doesn't respond to her immediately.

"... Something is coming this way".

…

Meanwhile at the control room in the research facility the team gets an unexpected transmission from their units.

#"General, we've got a signal fix on something not very far".

"What is it? Stream us the data of the vector matrix".

On the middle screen in the control room suddenly appeared an image only the scientists could comprehend.

"My god! Look at the magnitude! What is that?".

Professor Kaito, also present, steps up.

"We've never seen anything this scale before. Something must be wrong with the equipment".

Professor Yukinari takes careful note on the scientist's advice.

"Ok, all units, track them carefully. Can't be too cautious enough. Also, stay unseen!".

#"Yes sir".

…

A few moments later Kaede gets up.

"We've got to go back", Nana says.

But then Kaede starts feeling it too. 'W-what's going on with this'.

"We better get back to the inn", Nana proposes.

"No. I don't want to be more of a bother".

"That's not it! You can't keep avoiding him!".

Kaede's eyes widened.

"But it's.. no use -". "Watch out".

All the sudden a unit jumps over the ledge they stood at, soon followed by 3 others.

"Surrender now! It's no use!", one of them yells with a muffled voice, from the overall suit and helmet.

"W-What the hell is this", Kaede yelled.

Then one of the men remarks: "It's number 7, take proper distance"'.

The men jump backwards a few metres.

Nana tried to reach them but couldn't. She looked at Kaede.

"You have a longer reach now! You can take them out".

The men in the suits look at each other as they overhear their conversation.

"It's no use", Kaede says. "It's over anyway".

"It's not like that! Lucy! You still have a chance! Come on we can win this".

"...He would never forgive me".

Then suddenly Nana feels a vector grab her. "Hee? Lucy let go of me".

Kaede looked around at her. She didn't grab her at all.

One of the units shouted out: "We have vectors too! So don't try to resist".

"Oh really", Nana mumbled with a darker voice.

She grabbed the park-bench with her vectors.

"Quickly, stun number 7 before she can make any more moves!".

But luckily, the men were too late, and the bench flies into two of them.

"D-Damn, Unit 1 & 3 are down, 4 flank from behind I'll keep them busy".

Nana rose up into a nearby tree, then plucked the lantern from the ground, and fired it at the man still standing still. As it flew towards him, he jumped away and his vector grabbed it, only to throw it back at her. 'So they have vectors too?'. She cuts the lantern in half and splinters it to pieces.

"Let's see if you can handle this". She shoots the splinters at the unit and just barely misses him.

But then the three others suddenly stand near her, and punch her before grabbing her vectors. With her last vector, she manages to punch one of them, but then the last one holds her last vector, rendering her useless

"SHOOT THAT STUN-ROUND NOW".

Just then Kaede physically pushes one of the men, freeing Nana. 'Why isn't she using her vectors? Are they disabled?', Nana thought.

With her remaining vector, she tried to slice away a man, but it only bounced him off. She then ran off, retracting her vectors as the range maxed out. 'Lucy, I have to do something. But I'm not strong enough".

"SURRENDER NOW LUCY".

She remained silent. One of the men fires a stun bullet into her chest. Injecting her with a neuro-toxin that spread pain into every inch of her body. "UWWAAA". She dropped to her knees, and the men moved in to restrain her.

"It's over now! Lucy!".

**'Kouta', she thought. 'Will I ever be with you?'.**


	5. Return

**Since the story is initially complete in rough version, and all that is left to do to post it here is cleaning it out, I started sketching the roughs of the first episode in manga. Since I promised a full color sequel, it might not progress quickly at all. With my 2-week vacation I should get some stuff up. When I start up a topic about that, I'll be sure to link it from here.**

**About this chapter and future ones: Most chapters will be about this size in words. The last three chapters will be extra long, they are part of the finale-sequence. I hope to live up to these expectations. In the meantime, enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

_~"Next up is that girl"_

_~'That girl?', Kouta thought as he stood there drenched in the blood of his own sister. Barely making sense of what happened to him. His mind shattered in front of his own consciousness and therefore he sank deeper in the overflow of negative emotion. His throat felt sore because there was going to be a surge of tears streaming down his cheeks, but strangely, he suppressed it, and clenched his teeth._

_~'She must mean Yuka!'_

_Upon the thought he knew he had to act. First his sister, then his father. He couldn't even mourn over them with the thought of Yuka being next._

_So he charged into her._

* * *

Kouta and Yuka stood by the car wreckage. Watching upon it with deep concern. Kouta turned around, looking into the direction she had wandered off to.

'She's gone away now again. Who knows for how long'.

He looked down. Yuka, still looking at the wreckage, barely made sense of the situation herself.

"What was that all about Kouta! Why did she do this to us".

Kouta paused.

"I don't know...", he said with a slightly suffering tone. "...but that was not like her".

"What do you mean?".

"I don't believe that the Nyu we know, would do this".

Yuka looked over to Kouta.

"But then what was going on inside her?".

"I don't know... I just feel it's like that", Kouta says.

"You really think that? But what's up with those hands! That really hurt!".

Kouta looked into her eyes. "I don't understand either. Something really bad is going on".

With grieve in his heart, Kouta stared downwards. He hated himself for loving her. Then again, loving her fueled the idea of thinking that, that back then, was not her at all.

'Kaede, what's going on inside of you', he thought.

Then out of the blue, Nana appeared, completely exhausted and out of breath!

"Nana!", Kouta shouts.

"We got attacked!", she yells, breathing excessively.

"Huuh?".

"They... They took Lucy!".

"WHAT?". Kouta's response was loud and clear.

"We got surrounded, they nearly captured me too, but they managed to get her!".

Kouta could not accept the thought. 'Is she serious? Is this happening'.

"Where did they go? We must find her!", he shouts.

Yuka yanked his left arm.

"Kouta, what's up with you, look what she did to Nana!".

"I … I DON'T GIVE A SHIT! ...WE MUST GET HER BACK".

But Nana looked down with remorse.

"I-I'm sorry Kouta. I could have easily beaten them, but Lucy... she refused to fight".

Kouta's face lost color. 'No... this can't be!'.

He drops to his knees, and covers his eyes with his hands.

"Kouta!". Yuka drops next to him to hold him.

"We must run", Nana yells. "They will be after me too!".

Kouta regained concentration.

"Ok! Let's go back to the inn right away, I don't want to lose you too, Nana".

Nana slightly blushed. For the first time she felt she was precious to someone else. The three storm off back towards the Inn.

…

RESEARCH FACILITY.

#"Landing lights on, cleared approach landing pad 01, 10-00".

As the chopper moves in and maneuvers above the landing pad, the ground illumination kicks in. A bunch of security guards stand ready to ensure safety. The helicopter hovers down and makes a soft touch. Men with red chemlight sticks signal the chopper to kill it's engine.

Just then, the special units disembark. With them, restrained tightly, the queen. At least to the chief it was, who stood watching from afar. "Finally I've got you back".

The security takes her over from the units and immediately stun her with sedatives. A figure from the main gate walks up as the vortexing propellers spool down. It was professor Kaito.

"We'll take it from here, thank you for your cooperation in this successful mission". The guards drag her towards the main gate of the facility, which opened already. Giving away that 5500 Kelvin light. Perfectly white in every way. Giving back bad memories of captivity.

"Prepare her decontamination, she'll be put in the next generation quarantine chamber we finished a few weeks ago", the professor adds. A few guards nod, run over to Kaede, and they grab her by her arms and slew her forward inside.

From inside, the closing door ceiled out any of the outside ambient sound. The crashing of the ocean. The down-spool of the turbines. It locked out all beautiful sounds and bringing that 50hz deep hum of the fluorescent lights back.

"Undo her clothes quickly", a staff sergeant orders out.

"This should be fun", one of the said, grinning unholily.

"James! Shut up and get this done quickly, this is no joke! As soon as the sedatives wear off she's the most deadly weapon in this universe, you got that?".

The guard bows down obediently and together with another man, they undo her clothes. At the same time another door opens. "Decontamination chamber is ready! Throw her in there! Quickly".

They drag her down as fast as they can, and close the hatch. The more the cold of the new area got to her, the more aware she became. What before was a drowsy state turned into panic. It was dark in every corner, and there was no difference to be spotted between closing or opening the eyes.

Something started making noise, a motor of some sort. But to her great horror, the chamber began filling with ice-cold water. Slowly, yet surely. To her greatest dismay, it felt even colder as it started reaching her ankles. She looked down, as if there was something she would see, but she didn't. Quickly she ran up to the walls to feel for a possible exit. But she soon realised this place was like a tank. Hermetically sealed off. Only the door they throwed her in from was the only possible position she knew she could try to make an escape from. But upon feeling the walls, she could not distinguish them from the doors. Both were cold metal.

Meanwhile the ice-cold bone-shattering water got to her knees. She started shivering. 'Are they trying to freeze me to death here?'. She ran up to what she thought was the opposite side of the door. Here she could clearly feel the seams that marked the edge of the door and the wall. But no handlebars or levers to be noticed.

The water started rushing in at an incredible rate. It soon reached up to her behind, the lower part of her back and rising up, driving her into a state of shock. 'Help me', she thought. She was able to summon her vectors at last. Trying to bang and breach through anything she could, but to no avail.

Only when the water reached up to her chin she fully realized that there was no way out of this. The water encapsulated her completely, and she started drowning. Her mind bent in front of herself, thinking about all that she loved, the only person she loved: 'Kouta'.

…

MAPLE INN

Still thinking they might come for Nana, the members thought deeply and carefully together. They had immediately told Mayu about what happened, and in her usual way she couldn't really understand why this all happened.

Kouta was completely distraught by the past events. His fingers ached. The pain went deep. But he cared less.

"Nana, where did they take her to", Kouta asked.

"They will take her back to THAT place".

Kouta recalled what they spoke talked about before. He sighed deeply.

"It's no use... We've really... lost her". He plants his head into his arms, and gives up.

But Nana wasn't really sure about giving up.

"No", she said.

Kouta looked up. "Huh?".

"I know there must be a way to get there", she refusingly said.

All kouta could do was gape in disbelief. He very much wanted to believe they could do something like that. But was that realistic? He looked down again.

Yuka was still puzzled. "THAT place?".

Nana and Kouta look over to her as they realise that she never knew about this in the first place.

Just before they tried to explain anything, Mayu stormed in.

"WHERE'S WANTA!?".

…

RESEARCH FACILITY

She opened her eyes slowly. Drowsiness brought her to a state of disorientation. Only for a short period, to be welcomed by the horror of realising she was THERE again. Completely sedated and unable to move or summon her vectors. A person stood beside her as she woke up. In his eyes she could see fear. "H-Hello...".

'Who the hell is this', she thought. Looking around she noticed she was in some sort of observatory. To her right people stood watching upon her from behind a glass window.

"Fascinating professor Kaito. Your sedatives seem to have a positive effect. She can indeed not summon her vectors anymore". Professor Kaito grinned. "The research team has noticed that her horns have grown back into a different shape? How would you like to explain that?".

He hid his grin, before saying anything. "We haven't found the exact reason or circumstances. But with our current 8 specimina, we should be able to work up enough proof".

"What do you mean professor? You only have 7?".

Once more the professor chuckled darkly and grinned.

"This is going to be our base for the eighth. We're gathering her ova. After that we will turn to in-vitro fertilization. Another cell will be sent to our biological facility. They will be able to materialize an 18-year old version of her. What I don't know is how they will manage to deal with the fact that they start out with a blank mind. They need to teach her".

"I-I don't understand Professor Kaito... Can our facility materialize clones on certain ages already? I never knew we harnessed such technology".

"Yeah, it's quite some work. They sort of speed up the aging more or less. The effects on the brain are unconfirmed. From previous tests it's said that they are more cooperative and willing to learn quickly. Both through imagery in the aging process, and a post-aging courses to learn about most of the stuff to make her 'normal'. But none of that has ever gone without hassle. Never forget that the diclonius blood is strong. Make no mistake".

Back at observation table, it became clear to Kaede, this person seemed to be like a doctor, but with seemingly no experience in dealing with diclonii. "Don't be afraid", he said, even though he himself sounded afraid saying that. "It's going to sting a bit, please don't think bad of me... I have to do this". She looked down as the doctor sterilizes a long needle. 'I hate needles', she thought to herself, remembering her last vaccination at the orphanage.

_~"Next up is Kaede"_

_The shy girl came from behind the group, where a boy had pushed her away from._

_~"Tomoo! Leave that!"._

_~"I'm sorry sir, I just thought animals didn't need this vaccination"._

_Tomoo laughs out loud together with his minions._

_~"That's enough already! One more issue and you're going to be punished"._

_But even the teacher didn't really care about her. Tomoo was just a general bully that had to be dealt with. The teacher probably never pitied the poor Kaede's situation. She had horns after all, and startled the crap out of everybody._

_~"Sit down", the doctor said. "What's your name little girl?"._

_~"Kaede", she silently said, noticing the doctor already looking at her horns. He stopped, staring at them for some time. "Ok this might sting a bit. Don't worry, it's over in no-time"._

_She looked away as the needle penetrated into her skin. She shut her eyes tightly as a surge of pain overwhelmed her. "Shit it went intra-muscular". He pulled out his needle, which resulted in even more pain, generating tears in her eyes._

_"Don't cry now", the doctor says. "I've got something for you"._

_The doctor reaches for his bag, from which he takes a lollipop. "Here you go! Because you've been such a brave girl". Even through the pain, 6-year old Kaede was cheered up. She received something the others didn't for the first time in her life. She looked up and smiled to the doctor, which seemed to even surprise the teacher. "Thank you"._

_The happiness, like always in the orphanage, was not long lasting. After the vaccination session, when all the kids would go outside to play, Tomoo and his friends beat her on the arm, where the pain had just seized._

_"Stupid horns! Give me that! -", Tomoo yells, taking the lollipop from her hands. "Horns like you shouldn't eat candy. Horns like you need animal food". They then continued to push her around, as if bringing the pain to her arm was not enough. "There's no place for animals like you"._

"There we go". She looked down. The doctor had already finished his work. He quickly turned around and moved away. As if he nearly ran away from her.

#"Security, bring her to her chamber, slip her into her harness!".

'Not that again', she thought.

A ton of armed security guards approach her. "Her vectors are disabled right?".

#"Yes, go ahead and restrain her now, we haven't a lot of time here".

But as they approach, she feels able, and summons them. A hand that was ready to grab her, gets chopped off, only to be followed by the man's torso. "EWAAAA". The guards ready their weapons and take proper distance.

"Shit! S-She can summon them?".

#"Quickly! The stun guns!".

A security guard shoots out a dart straight onto her left arm. ~"Shit, it went intra-muscular", she recalled. But the pain was ever-so-shattering, and forced her on her knees. She kicked and screamed. "AAARGHH".

"Now, quickly, move in!".

From behind the glass the scientists watch in fear. "Another one down! I can't afford to keep losing these guards! We had to up to wage to keep them from resigning! Get those drugs to last longer Kaito!".

"... no".

"What?!".

"We'll use pain as our device. The sedatives prove to be untrustworthy. The stun-gun has never failed us up until now".

"Doesn't that bring her in immatriculate pain?".

Professor Kaito grinned. "It does".

…

Mayu and Yuka went searching for Wanta. Kouta would go along but was not really in the mood for it. Still barely believing that Nyu has once again left.

"So.. Now what?", he asks Nana, who was sitting with him at the table.

She looked down, as if planning something. Bit her lip.

"I don't know how to get there. It's an island after all".

She then started getting tears in her eyes.

"If Papa was still here... he would surely help, but without Papa...".

"It's useless. We might as well just give up. They took her away and there's nothing we can do", Kouta says.

Nana looks up to Kouta in her tears.

"But! I will never allow them to capture you as well, Nana!".

"R-Really?"

"... Yes. But... I can't help but...". Kouta pauses, and started to get a tear in his eye, which Nana couldn't believe.

"I can't help but miss her. Nyu and... Kaede too".

Nana gaped. 'Kaede...', she thought to herself. 'What a pretty name. Just like the house'.

She was determined. She had to do something. 'I'll get her back, no matter what it takes!'.

...

At the beach, Yuka and Mayu keep shouting out for Wanta. "Wanta! Wanta!".

Mayu runs around in hysteria. She thought she heard barking, looked around while still running forward, only to run into a man. "S-Sorry!".

But when she looked up, she was surprised to see... Bando!

"Damn you little brat", he shouts aloud.

"Bando!".

"Oh wait a minute, is that you?". He looks closer, with his one red eye.

"What happened to your eye?", Mayu asks him.

"Pfuh, I don't need your pity now! It's not like I'm completely disabled now …". Suddenly he nearly trips over the ledge of the pavement as he turned away from Mayu.

"D-Damn! This stupid eye needs fixing", he shouts to himself. "Anyway, what do you want!".

"... Wanta, he ran away".

"Wanta? OH that dog again eh? You mean the one that has run up here to bite my ankles?".

Mayu was surprised. "He came all the way here to do that? He would never...". Then Mayu remembered it. She went walking Wanta with Nana, and left him with her as she fed him. 'She must have forgotten to close the front door'.

"It came over here to bite me in my ankles! My ankles I tell you! It's not like I will get mechanical legs too now. Stupid dog. I was happy when that woman came here to take it away, saying 'James, James' all over the place".

Mayu thought for a moment. 'Does he mean... THAT WOMAN AGAIN?'.

"Where are they now?", she asks him.

Bando looked over towards the beach.

"Ehh, crap with this eye. Let's see...". He looks around but doesn't seem to find them.

Before he saw anything, Mayu already spotted the woman from afar.

"THERE!".

"Yeah yeah, I know. It's not like I didn't see her or something, you little brat!".

Yuka came over. "What's going on here Mayu?".

But all Mayu could do was cry over the sight of Wanta being held by that woman again.

Bando bit his teeth.

"Why are you crying now all of the sudden you...", he said and then paused.

"You want your dog back? Just watch this...".

He ran over to the couple standing with Wanta.

"Oy you two! Hand over the dog and get the fuck off my beach".

Yuka watched over the scene. "What's he up to? And why are those people holding wanta".

"Umm", Mayu said. "Actually... Those are Wanta's original owners". Yuka looked at Mayu as she nodded down in guilt.

"Mayu...".

"JAMES JAMES".

"Hhaa! There! This dog belongs to that girl over there!".

The woman looks over to mayu. "You again!".

She ran away from Bando towards Mayu. "Hee? Where are you going now!", Bando shouts out.

"You dirty homeless girl! I can't believe you took James again! You are worthless", the woman says.

Mayu could have said a thousand things to prove this woman wrong, but was reduced to tears. At the same time, this woman made Yuka angry.

"Listen up you, she lives with us now! She never stole your dog, it just returned to us. NOW DON'T GO CALLING MY FAMILY HOMELESS!".

Mayu looked up not believing her ears. "Yuka...".

"I'll call the police", the woman said, and ran away.

"Police? That will be fun", Bando said as he returned.

"Hey you, brat. And you, crazy woman". Bando's statements were clearly irritating Yuka. "What are you doing here", he shouts out.

"What do you mean?".

"I meant to say, get off of my beach, this is my territory now".

"Bando... Why are you doing this here?".

"I'll make sure, that if I ever see a person with horns again, I will surely kill it immediately! That bitch nearly got me twice! I can never forgive her, yet she didn't kill me anyway".

'Is he talking about Nyu?', Mayu thought.

Inside Yuka, an alarm rang. 'Killing? Horned girls?'. She instantly recalled the day Kouta would go after Nana, and a military exercise was being conducted at Enoshima Island. The day Nyu parted. Before she knew anything about those 'powers'. Also, she never even questioned Kouta's story around her departure. 'Something else must have happened', she thought.

She now clearly recalled that she never really questioned Nyu's return in the first place. As if she had forgotten Kouta's 'lies'.

Bando turns around. "I'll just forgive you guys and let you get away with this one".

"Wait Bando!". He halts, looking around at Mayu.

"Why would you wait your whole life here for a horned girl?".

He bit his teeth to bite away emotion. "What do you mean".

"Why don't you go live a good life somewhere?".

"Hah! You stupid brat. You think I have something else to do? Or somewhere to go? This IS my life. Killing horned bitches!".

Mayu looks down.

"Ok. But if you want to come by sometime, I can always make some dinner for you!".

"EEH?", Yuka suddenly shouts. "He? In our house? No way".

"Hey woman! It's not like she asked your permission. Besides, I don't need to be treated by you two! Now hurry up and get out of here". Bando walks away nearly tripping over another can. "D-Damn you people". He picks up and throws the can in the trash bin further up.

"You know this man Mayu?", Yuka asks.

"... Yes. He... I saved his life once".

"Huh?".

Yuka couldn't really understand, but since they had Wanta, she was keen on returning to the inn.

"Let's go now Mayu, it's going to rain soon", Yuka said as clouds had started populating the sky slowly.

"Oh, Ok", Mayu says, with a trance-like gaze in Bando's direction.

…

RESEARCH FACILITY

"Professor, we've started the process of the fertilization", an assistant calls out to Kaito.

But he couldn't help but question the validity. 'If the eggs were fertilized, then whose seed will be used?'. He goes back to sit behind his computer to write another report.

"

We've been continuing our tests on the 7 diclonii that were already given to us. All of them were silpelits from the second kind. Ages varied from 12 to 16, which is the oldest we can go at the moment. They come from the biological facility. Where they were 'manufactured'. The process is still work in progress as these diclonii lack an extreme amount of social skills and are overly awkward to work around. They hardly ever talk and show no emotions.

They are however, very cooperative and willing to follow orders. They also seem reluctant in using their vectors against us. We've systematically shot off one horn on all of them. This brings along the predicted effect. Eyeballs rolling upwards, and partial paralysis. The youngest silpelit actually died after being in a coma for a week. The others, after they regained strength and consciousness, were subjected to the vector-tests. Clearly they were less able to summon them against higher power.

Shooting the second horn resulted mostly in instant death or coma. We only have two cases still alive in a coma, but we fear it's helpless.

We have still not found out how Lucy got to grow her horns back. Maybe her clone will give us the answers. As far as I have heard, it will not be an exact copy. For starters, her horns will be as the ones she was originally born with, and furthermore her body will be matured differently. Previous tests have shown that growing an exact copy is close to impossible.

We still await the last diclonius. I tried to get some tests done on the real Lucy, but they wouldn't let me. She is now sealed and quarantined in a much larger chamber. The doors have been soldered shut. Only robotics can work around her if we required more resources. Nothing can get to her, and nothing can make her escape!

Professor Kaito

"

"Professor!".

"Uhh? Yes?".

"Chief Kakuzawa requested you to visit him".

Kaito swallows. 'Chief Kakuzawa himself? At his desk?', he thought.

"Tell him I'll be right down".

…

During that same week Kouta recovers from his injuries and Yuka tries to make sense of it all. Nana had harnessed the same powers as Nyu. However, she would never use them. She was always cheerful and helpful within the house.

Even though they were all cheerful, they really felt once more, the absence of Nyu. But it was different this time. Kouta had a different behaviour towards the situation compared to the previous occurrence. It brought up questions for Yuka. Questions she didn't dare ask however. Since Kouta could turn from happy to very withdrawn when the subject came around.

Regardless of the strange things going on for Yuka, they all greatly anticipated an upcoming event. The Kamakura festival. Kouta and Yuka would go for the first time again, after so many years. Mayu and Nana were also greatly interested as they never really had the chance to go to a festival.

It seemed as though they had all completely forgotten Nyu's absence. However, nothing was further from the truth. Yuka mainly feared her, yet missed the Nyu part of her. Kouta, as always, simply loved her. Every minute of her absence crushed his heart further. Mayu, who was the first to discover that Nana and Nyu had powers, still couldn't believe it herself, that Nyu did something like that. Nana did anticipate this, but nevertheless was determined to retrieve her. For Kouta. For the sake of everybody's happiness. If there was a way to do it, she'd definitely just do it right away. But it was all but easy. She had to come up with some sort of plan.

…

RESEARCH FACILITY

Professor Kaito's assistants prepare a new chamber. The chamber of their 8th subject. Unlike the previous subjects, number 1 to 7, this particular subject, carried Lucy's genetic material and DNA. She looked alike, not entirely the same. They first noted that this particular clone had purple hair and eyes. This puzzled every single scientist since the DNA was perfectly the same, and Lucy did not have this color.

She was not yet placed into this chamber. They merely heard rumors of those inconsistencies. They were speculated upon. "Maybe they aren't doing their job well at the biological sector", or: "There's something freaky about the clone". In any case, none of those rumors made people feel safe around the facility.

"Where's professor Kaito", a worker asks Kaito's assistant.

"He has a meeting with Kakuzawa as far as I know".

"He's been there for more than 6 hours already!?".

"As it appears, matters in this business run deep and require a lot of attention. Don't be worried though. As his assistant I am equally able to command the development".

He grabs his clipboard, and ticks off something before proceeding further through the freshly polished metal sea of the chamber, up to where the cage hung up. A modern-looking cage that would hold their subject. 'I wonder, if this failed, what would happen'.

An alarm suddenly rang.

"Shit! What's going on?", one of the workers shout.

#"All staff report immediately to the nearest extraction checkpoint. Security, head directly to Biological sector level D".

"Crap! Something must have happened in the biological sector", another worker says.

'Could it be HER?', the assistant thinks to himself, referring to Lucy's clone.

'No doubt it's her! How could she escape already? This might not be as easy as we thought'.


	6. Year

**This particular chapter is the reason why the story is rated M, and it only gets worse in the ones that follow.**

* * *

_"STOP IT ALREADY", he yelled to her repeatedly whilst knocking her down on the floor, forcing his words inside her mind. Forcing her to realize THAT, what she had done. Killing his sister and father right in front of his own eyes._

_It shattered him, as it now shattered her. He kept on doing this for what seemed like hours, on that train-ride in the middle of the night. Kouta had lost his mind completely. In total shock and disbelief to what had just happened to him, he eventually let go of her. His brain blocked any further interventions from the outside in. She watched him, as he slipped into his panic lockout, becoming quiet, and eventually stopping to bounce her against the surface._

_He stared palely in front of him, with an ice cold gaze. It gave her chills. What had she done? Up until now, nothing had consequences that directly came back to her. But this... was much worse than she had expected. She had to run._

_The train wouldn't stop until Tokyo, where only a few last embarkers found the poor little Kouta in the macabre scene, holding his sister's torso. The police was immediately involved, but could not make any sense of the situation. After they had then contacted the Kamakura police, it seemed their police force had 'experience' with such events._

_Meanwhile the poor little Kouta was being put in a hospital, and only later transferred back to Hokkaido, where he'd spend a long time recovering. Doctors even feared that he would not be able to slip out of his panic lock. They in fact predicted that he would be scarred for the rest of his life. For some reason, he recovered exceptionally well. It was only just later that they had discovered that he simply locked the memories out in order to function. Doctors discouraged the idea to talk about any of the events with him. Right they were._

* * *

#"All staff report immediately to the nearest extraction checkpoint. Security, head directly to Biological sector level D".

"This... can't be!", the assistant shouts out. Instead of following the rest of the staff he was working with in the chamber, he chose to venture out towards that sector.

"Hey! Where are you going! Procedures point out to drop everything and evacuate", a random worker says to Kaito's assistant.

"There's an obligation I must turn towards", the assistant replies, and walks away.

Along the way he ran into the professor himself, who too, was eager to find out what was going on.

"What are you doing here?", he said.

But the assistant couldn't reply as he stood without words. "I-I... "

"Now just shut up. It's good that you came. Follow me".

The professor ran off and his assistant was fairly surprised he had to do his best to keep that pace. As the two then finally arrive to what is called the biological sector, they are prompted with maximum security sealed doors. The assistant would not have had any clue in the opening of those, but Kaito seemed familiar with them.

They entered the main operation control room. "What's going on here", Kaito yelled.

There were only a few men remaining of the dozens that worked in this single room. It was the room that commanded and watched over the whole materialization process. A multitude of consoles and screens gave the impression that this could have been the control room of a nuclear facility.

The men looked around, with their utmost worried postures and faces. The leader walks up to the two and grabs Kaito by the shoulder, implying that they should move with him as he steps away from the rest of the team.

"Look, we have a major crisis. It seemed as though she was the most compliant clone we have had up until now, only to be insanely deceived. We've underestimated her".

"Go on... Just tell us what happened now".

The sad face of the team leader had only gotten worse as he paused, then looked down.

"After she had been removed from the finalization pod, from which we bring in most of the cognitive abilities, which we do through audio-visual feedback-tests, she seemed like any normal clone, only to suddenly use her vectors against one of our workers. Of course the rest of them fled as soon as that happened, and she's not standing anywhere near the pod anymore".

"Well just send in a security team then! We can't afford to lose time here!".

"Uhm... we sent in three different teams already...".

"What's the big deal then, just wait it out?".

"Kaito, it's not like that. This facility is a maze of pipes, ventral canals, catwalks and grated ceilings. She could crawl up into pretty much every place! It'll be just like the movie alien, for lack of any better comparison".

"This is the first clone that has used it's vectors without the situation requiring it. Could it be that..."

"Please Kaito, think about that later, right now she can escape the facility just by finding the correct ventilation cycle. If we don't find her then..."

"CHIEF!", a worker suddenly shouts out. "Hu?".

"Yes? What's going on!".

"SAT team 3 has found something"

"Switch to their on-board camera's".

A screen pops up suddenly showing what the team leader of SAT 3 sees, together with their speech.

SAT team 3 had walked up into a dark basement of ventilation manifold #5, which leads directly from the exit of the pod. The air was moist and warm from the apparatus that was housed in the rooms above them. The ceiling of the area was slightly lowered, in such a way that the team had to crouch slightly or keep the head down.

#"SAT team 3, why did you call us, what did you see", the leader suddenly hears over radio.

"It's just some movement on infrared, but I can't see anything on the night-vision, besides, this crappy equipment isn't calibrated, we can't see shit!".

#"Just keep searching".

"Keep searching, pfuh! Why don't they send that 'anti-diclonius-team' in first", the leader says out loud without transmitting.

Suddenly a dark voice calls from a corner. "It sure is dark in here huh?", it says with a somewhat broken voice.

The team suddenly turns around in fear. "W-Whaa? Where did that come from, I can't see anything over FLIR".

The team leader clenched his teeth. "COME OUT YOU DIRTY SKANK". Then came the silence, which was soon followed by the breaking of twigs. "Huh? There aren't any trees here?". Or so it sounded. Soon he found out his teammates had simply, vanished. "What the-". Then she crawled down towards him out of the dark.

"Don't be afraid", she said, as the faint light started to reveal her sick smile. "You have nothing to fear".

"H-Huh?".

"I am afraid too you know".

The team leader couldn't understand, but he did not fear her as much as he initially did. He even crouched down as she crawled up towards him, seemingly having been unable to have kept herself standing on her feet. He violated the basic safety precaution already simply by letting his guard down, and now also by being within a 2 metre radius with her.

"H-Help me up", she said.

At first he would doubt his decision, but a soft tone in her voice made him feel so in tune with her, making him forget the killings she had committed earlier. He grabbed her arm, helping her up, but she fell into his arms, resting her chin over his shoulder.

"I want you, to..."

"Don't worry, I'll bring you back. It'll all be fine..."

"No!".

"W-What, why not?".

She pauses, and releases herself from their hug-position. They now sit crouched face to face. Her eyes were like the colour of dark purple turkish delights. Glassy but soft. She painted this permanent smile on her face.

"I want you to touch... my breasts".

The leader frowned. "Uhh?".

Only then he gave attention to it. Her body. She was, just like Lucy, nothing eyes could miss. Her bodily curves were perfectly shaped in every way. Her skin was even fresher than Lucy's since she was materialized from scratch over just a week. She smiled even more, and grabbed his hand.

He remained frozen, undoubtedly feeling her cold hand clenching his wrist. Then it slowly tugged him towards her chest. Although he did not move it over himself, he did not object to any of her actions. He wouldn't show or accept the thought, that he actually liked it.

Then it made contact. She was ice-cold. Her softness was the only feature that negated the thought that she was made of ice! She closed her eyes, and her smile faded away. "I like this", she slowly said. She then continued to make him squeeze them. Yet still he did not take any action upon himself.

"Now I want to... I want you to..."

She couldn't say it as she kept her eyes closed.

#"SAT team 3, come in! We lost TV on one of your camera's! What's going on!".

"Don't listen to them", she said.

"I want you to suck my breasts".

This one really blew the soldier away. 'No! I mustn't. I must resist. It's a trap!'.

"Because if you don't..."

The soldier looked up as she now stood up in front of him.

"... I'll make you eat your own fingers!".

He swallowed. 'Shit, this bitch is bad. Worse than I thought. What to do, I can't escape now!'.

She stepped closer to him, levelling her chest with his head. He pulled his head towards her nipples, only to let him do the rest of his 'duty'.

And so he did. She closed her eyes once more and enjoyed this. "More", she said.

"More, more, more".

She clenched his head, and started yelling it. "MORE".

He felt a surge of pressure around his whole body. 'Could this be... her vectors?', he thought as the pressure kept increasing.

"MOOOOOREEE".

With that she, in one dramatic move, squashed him together and pulled him outwards, leaving his guts to fly off in every direction. Only his head, which she still held, was stuck to her nipple.

With a sad face she covered her eyes with a hand, and starts crying. *sob *sob "I wanted more". But not a moment too soon, her sick smile returns.

Back in the control room, where the audio-visual stream had lost connection to miss the important events, the men had been in contact with team 2 who gave a false alarm with something like a rat.

"Team 3? What's going on".

"Now that you say it, Kaito, team 3 hasn't been responding for...", the man checks his watch, "...13 minutes".

"Shit! It must have been in that sector. Get Yukinari's team on that!".

"Already?"

"Just fucking do it! We really have no time for the games that she wants to play".

Not a moment too soon the team gets deployed into the dark catacombs of the underground of the bio facility. They venture five times quicker and have all the sensors they need.

"Shit, Vector matrix gives me alot of noise".

"Well you dumbass there's about thousand diclonii in this facility, let's just head out to where team 3 last was".

"Ok!".

The team jumps on from catwalk to catwalk up on pipes through ventilations, quick and nimble.

…

MAPLE INN

"Alright now, everybody! Dinner is ready", Yuka shouts out.

Like hungry dogs, everybody immediately sat at the table. Nana was exceptionally cheerful this day, for it was the day they would go to the festival. She had been looking out to this day the whole week, and to top that up, Yuka had made yakisoba, what had been said to be a specialty for that day.

"Oh this really smells great Yuka", Nana shouts with her glassy shiny hunkering eyes as Yuka serves the food to the table.

"Heh, thanks Nana. I've been working hard on this dish".

"This is my favorite, Yuka", Kouta says. "This is the only thing I really think you cook great".

"So the rest isn't good or what?", Yuka yells at Kouta.

"N-Noo it's not like that".

Yuka was about to hand out a slap, but before she could, her eyes crossed Nana.

She was in such a way cheerful, that you'd actually stop what you're doing and just watch her. It made Yuka and all the other members equally happy.

As they sat and dined together, the spirit of the Inn became pure once more. Peaceful in every way.

"This is really delicious Yuka", Mayu remarked.

As they finished their meal and cleaned the table, Kouta sat in the patio, looking out into the evening sunset sky. Reminiscing the last time he went to the festival. For some reason he did not want to go. For some reason he was afraid. There was an urge that told him not to go, by any means. It made him nervous.

"How do I look", Yuka said as she appeared in her festival clothing.

"Yuka, there's really no need to wear that anymore... I guess".

"Nani? Is it not pretty then?", she says angrily.

"In fact...", Kouta continues, "... I don't really feel like going anyway".

"What?". Yuka's anger turned into sadness as she heard him say that. Her young-girl heart broken again.

"But, you said you would go with me today. You promised".

"Well I lied!", Kouta says with an irritated undertone, as he gets up and walks off, reducing Yuka to tears.

Mayu came around as she noticed Kouta marching off. "Uhm.. What's wrong Yuka".

She quickly wiped her tears away. "Oh... Nothing really".

Kouta sat in his room, with the music box. Even though he had promised himself not to think about her anymore, and to put the box away, here he sat with it again.

'If only there was a way to go back, and instead of Yuka, go to the festival, with her!', he thought to himself. 'What am I thinking now. Why did I say those things to Yuka'. He stood up, and went back to Yuka.

She sat down all alone at the table, looking down, until she heard him approach. She looked up to him, with some last hope that this would be his apology.

"Yuka. I'm sorry about what I said, of course I want to go to the festival. It's just that...".

He smiles as he interrupts himself.

"Let's leave already now, there will be a lot of people in the way".

Yuka smiles, and takes his hand to aid her in getting up.

They all leave the house happily, to set off into the evening atmosphere of the festival.

…

RESEARCH FACILITY

The anti-diclonius team was very able. They had spotted her fairly quickly with the use of their suit, stunning her with the immense pain disabling her almost instantly.

In Kakuzawa's office, both Yukinari and Kaito stand together to summarize what had happened.

"Four SAT members died inside our facility again. Don't forget that these cause of deaths must be carefully hidden from the public. The ministry of defense have been on our ass quite much the past few months", Kakuzawa says.

Kaito clenches his teeth, but the calm Yukinari merely bit his lip.

Kakuzawa continued:

"It might be... a good time to show you... my true plans".

The two scientists sharpen their eyes. 'True plans?', they simultaneously think.

"Since we've come this far, and our final queen is held captive, it is time to introduce you to... the lebensborn project".

"Lebensborn?", Kaito whispers.

"I will spare you the details of my true history, and save that for a later session. What's important now is for you to keep following my direct orders. That, or you'll be flushed down the drain".

Kaito swallows. 'What is this!'.

"Mankind as we know it, is directly threatened by the diclonius race. Up until now we have contained these rarities to keep mankind safe. Things will turn around now as we will finally unleash the powers onto this planet. Mankind as we know it will give way to a new race, and you my friends, will, together with me, take part in creating this perfect world. You'll be out of harm's way regarding the dangers of this new world, that I can promise you".

"This...", Kaito lightly says. "... You can't be serious about this?".

"Professor Kaito!...", Kakuzawa shouts as he reveals his horns. "Make no mistake here, because it will surely be your last".

The two nearly freak out at the sight. "W-What's this all about?", Yukinari asks.

"As I said before, I'll save you the details. The bottom line is that your cooperation is very much mandatory".

Kakuzawa turned around facing his window.

"With Lucy captured at last, we extract her ova to reproduce diclonii directly from the queen. The silpelit's hunger for destruction will be stilled by setting them free in the world. Why do you think we've been cloning constantly anyway?".

"We still need to discover how Lucy got her horns to grow back, we need to test that. I expect nothing but your cooperation in this process. For now you're dismissed".

The two wait for about two seconds, before turning around and leaving the office.

"What is this all about", Kaito asks Yukinari as they leave the upper floor via the elevators.

"I really haven't a clue, but seeing that Kakuzawa has horns... This is really some strange business".

"Fuck this, this whole plan to wipe mankind. I'm going to take some days off!".

"Are you leaving right now, at this important point in development?", Yukinari asks, frowning upon his colleague.

"Yukinari please. I have a family and kids! Besides, it's festival in Kamakura, you should go too!".

"I consider myself married to my job professor Kaito. Besides, what would an old man like me have to do at some festival?".

Kaito dismissed his colleague's explanations or excuses, took a coffee from the vending machine, and went back to his lab to take his coat.

…

KAMAKURA

"Woaa, this is really amazing", Nana shouted in pleasure as she roamed across the sea off stalls portraying their cultural beauty as they do yearly. She was together with Mayu as they had just split with Yuka and Kouta, who would go their own way.

"Oh look over there", Yuka said, pointing her finger towards one of the classic stalls. Kouta looked over. To his surprise and upon closer inspection, he recalled that this was the very same stall they were at to cut out pieces 8 years ago.

"Here!", Yuka pulled Kouta towards the stall. "Aah, what are you doing".

She rests down and asks the man behind the stand for an A-classed piece, giving the guy a coin.

"Alright, here you go".

Yuka took the needle into her hands and started cutting away the shape.

Kouta looked down in disbelief. With the speed that she now did it in, it was truly incredible to see her master it.

"Woa, Yuka, you're really good at this!", he says appraisingly. Yuka's face painted a cheerful smile. All these years she had waited to show him this, and now she finally did it.

"Why don't you try one Kouta? I remember you did the C-skilled ones?".

Before Kouta could reply to her, she already asked the guy behind the stand for another shape. And thus before Kouta now lay a piece waiting to be cut out.

Kouta sat down in concentration, confident that he could easily do it. But try after try, it broke. Sometimes not even half-way through.

"I-I can't do it anymore".

Yuka watched as it turned Kouta sad for a while.

She jerked him away from the stall. "Come on, let's do something more fun", she said as she held his arm running away. "Yuka please! I'll trip!".

Eventually the two found a bar, a more suitable place for their age as it seemed. As they both already drank through their third sake, Kouta started thinking about things in general. The totality of all the past events came back to him.

"We sure had a rough time didn't we... Yuka?".

Yuka opened her eyes as she herself had drifted away in her own thoughts. "Umm?".

"Yeah. 8 years ago. We really had fun at this festival. Now it all seems... boring".

"What are you saying now Kouta! Spending time with me is boring?".

"Yeah, sort of", he arrogantly replies.

Yuka gasped, then gaped as tears came into her eyes.

"Haha silly Yuka how could you even believe that!", Kouta says laughingly..

"It's not funny to make jokes about that!", she angrily says back.

"If it wasn't for her, 8 years ago, then we'd probably be..."

Kouta bit his lip instantly.

"Her? What do you mean now", Yuka fuzzily says.

"Ohhh, uh, nothing at all Yuka!".

Nana and Mayu came around. "Hey look over there", Nana shouts out enthousiastically. "It's Kouta and Yuka".

As the two came to sit next to the latter, Nana starts telling Yuka about all the things they had done. Kouta stares off not believing his ears as Nana kept rambling away her stories. Her eyes shining with all the happiness a world can have.

"Is she really that happy?", Kouta then asks Mayu.

"She's been like that ever since we arrived here at the festival actually".

As it became midnight, the family got themselves together, and got ready to return home. Nana, crying and smiling just like a child, sees how to festival atmosphere grows thinner as they walk away.

"Today, was the most fun I've ever had", Nana says, as she sighs a deep breath away.

Kouta heard her say that, and instantly recalled Kaede saying this to him. It stung his heart. But he repressed the thought, and simply continued walking.

"It wasn't that bad after all", Kouta says as he smiles at Yuka, grabbing her hand. This made her blush, but she held firm grip on his hand. Making sure not to let it go, she closed her eyes.

…

RESEARCH FACILITY

Chief Kakuzawa circles Lucy's cage.

"Do you know why I brought you back... Lucy?".

"...".

The chief grinned deeply, but she further refused to speak.

"I've heard you were with a boy at Enoshima. Very interesting 'relationship'. But he is not worthy of your blood!".

He halted.

"Lucy, you are the queen of the new world. Soon all these humans will be brought to an end. You'll be the eve of your own kind, and I am the god in this play!".

"You are... not related to me!", she suddenly says.

"Mmm?". The chief looked up to her as he heard her say that.

"There's nothing that relates us whatsoever. You are, NOT NEEDED".

"How dare you... That boy! If I find him, I will surely kill him!".

She froze. 'Kouta!'.

"Leave him out of this! It's between you and me".

The chief chuckled darkly.

"There are no rules in this game Lucy. It's kill, or get killed. Please forget about this world, it didn't do you any good! The others will kill FOR you! Hahaaa".

"I do not wish to partake in your plans! In fact, I do not wish to kill anymore, I'm done with that".

"EHH?".

Kakuzawa's pupils shrunk as if fallen into a deep well.

'What's up with this, did she just really say that?'.

"Hah, pathetic! Well good thing we're keeping you here then! You weren't supposed to kill anybody to begin with. We'll simply harvest your eggs at a constant basis. Soon this world will be ours. Soon this world will be perfect!".

His phone rang all of the sudden.

"Yes what's going on, how is the fertilization going?".

#"It's not working. None of the seeds you've ordered us to use, work with the ova. The placentas simply devour over a short period. Something strange is coming into play".

"Don't give me that! Keep trying until I tell you to stop".

#"... Yes sir!".

Meanwhile, professor Kaito readies a test in his new chamber, where the purple-haired clone is held. He was asked to do the further night-shift against his will, but it left him no choice. A few guards stand inside as they commence her feeding time.

"The new way of feeding is a bit crude isn't it", one of the guards remarks.

"Yeah, but the previous methods were simply too risky. Be happy man".

"Yeah.. I am really".

They watch as a piped mask gets fitted onto her with a robotic arm, from which life support was provided.

"So yeah, this late shift is really annoying isn't it?".

"Sure is, I wish I could go to the festival with my wife and kids, but then they called me to do this shift".

"Yeah me too. Pfuh, my wife is really starting to get to me whenever I call stuff off like that".

"Hey you two!", a dark voice suddenly calls.

"Hhuh?".

They look over to the cage, where the sound clearly came from. As she wore a helmet, they couldn't really tell whether she was in fact awake or asleep.

"Shouldn't you be at home, fucking your wife?".

The guards were simply gobsmacked.

"W-What did you just say?", one of the two says.

She chuckled.

"Wait a minute", the other guard starts.

"She's a clone, how could she have developed such a vocabulary?".

But the other guard was hit by her words and even angered. He walked up closer.

"What are you doing!".

He walked up towards the cage.

"Don't you dare talk about my wife like that again".

#"Guys, what are you doing!? Get back inside, the test is about to start!".

Up in the control room, Kaito and his team are ready to shoot off one of the horns.

"Aim!".

A laser-beam warms up with a warm hum. The harness and mask were automatically removed to reveal her horns, as the laser homed in on them.

"FIRE".

In one dramatic blast her horns shattered from her very own head, bringing her into the predicted state.

"So far so good, check vital signs, and monitor on CT for me".

…

MAPLE INN

*Yawn* "Boy I'm going to sleep well tonight", Nana says as she and Mayu slip into their sleeping clothes.

"It sure was fun wasn't it Nana?", Mayu smilingly says.

But instead of the expected reply, Nana started sobbing.

"W-What's the matter Nana?".

"I-It's just that...*sniff... I wish Nyu could have also enjoyed this night with us. It's my fault she isn't here anymore".

"Nana-san... Don't say such things!", Mayu says.

Meanwhile Kouta opens a letter that was delivered. As usual it announced the start of the next school-year. Yuka and Kouta, although distracted by Nyu in the first half of the year, had to keep a high pace in studying all on what they fell behind of. With some warnings they pass over to the second year.

"Hey Yuka, look at this, we're still in the same class", Kouta said.

"Great! Hopefully we can get some better results this year".

"Yeah... ".

Kouta pauses once more, thinking about the previous year, when Nyu would go to class together with them. "All she would say was: "Yes!", to just about anything. Boy the hassle we had".

"What are you saying?", Yuka said.

"W-Was I talking to myself again? Oh sorry Yuka hehe! Let's get some sleep..."

"You were talking about Nyu right?".

"Hee?".

"Yeah, I remember that first day at school too".

It turned quiet in that moment.

"You still miss her don't you?", Yuka says.

Kouta nods.

"I miss her too... Kouta". She sniffs as her eyes turn into tears.

"Please don't cry Yuka... You make me... want to cry as well".

The two hugged each other as they mourned over the loss of Nyu, their Nyu. Even though at first she did something horrible to them, they now felt her true absence.

…

RESEARCH FACILITY

"Goddamn it, they keep dismembering on themselves. How do you run this stable".

"I don't know? Are the acidity levels ok in there?".

"I checked that 10 times about now, I'm really out of clues".

Two scientists sit together as they try to figure out what stops Lucy's ova from being fertilized by the given seeds.

"Maybe she's just not fertile?".

"Yeah I'd like to think so, I'll call the professor".

…

A moment later in the boardroom, the professor explains their findings to Kakuzawa.

"WHAT? It can't be! Only the silpelits can't reproduce. She MUST", chief shouts.

"What do you suggest otherwise? We've tried nearly every method?".

"We'll use project B".

All the men in the boardroom clamp on to something as they heard what Kakuzawa just said.

"P-Project B on Lucy? But she's the..."

"I know she might be the queen, but her sole purpose is to give birth".

Kakuzawa stands up and starts a slide-show.

"First we remove her limbs, and other features that are not needed. After that we will proceed to put her in constant pain, preferably by cutting through a spinal nerve. We will then dissect the uterus to make it compatible with live equipment. She'll be like a cyborg, entangled with a machine that keeps her reproducing. It's a technique we've tried before, and a very quick way to reproduce diclonii straight from the queen".

The men gape their mouths right open as they see the horrible pictures slide past the projecting screen.

"With that said, I would like you to return back to your workstations to prepare that project. All but professor Kaito are dismissed!".

Kaito frowns up: "Huh?".

The rest of the men leave the boarding room.

"Kaito. I want you to become the new director. Your knowledge of the project and diclonii in general are very much needed for the function. Besides, since Kurama is not around to do it anymore, I really need somebody to fill it up. Therefore you are now in charge of the project B conversion of Lucy. Let your men figure out the problems with the horns of her clone for you".

"Y-Yes sir!".

"Also, I want you to deal with some people working here. Arakawa, who is working for a vaccine, her work could destroy my initial plans you know. Make sure to... kill her!".

Kaito's eyes sharpened. 'Did he really just say that? Does he want me to... kill her?'.

"Y-Yes sir!".

"Fine! Then get to it!".


	7. Clone

**I had to re-write this chapter more than once. The rough version just did not have enough flow in it. I still am not satisfied with it's current state. Anyway I can't keep you waiting all this time. If you've been reading from the start: Congrats, you've finally reached the last boring chapter. The next one's will take you on a roller-coaster ride as things speed up insanely. Almost unbearable to follow but hey what the heck! Events will turn around and things might not be what they seem. Enjoy this slightly longer chapter.**

* * *

_Kouta spent a lot of time catching up with all the school he missed. During that period he was probably the most disoriented person you could talk to. Having to constantly study kept him on track however. The vague memories filled up with what he thought happened to him, or with what was suggested by doctors or his close family._

_Since the death of his father, bonds with his aunt and Yuka in Kamakura had been broken. It left the poor little Yuka waiting for him in tears. Yet he, Kouta, could not remember her anymore. All traces or mementos of that summer were deliberately removed from his mind, or altered, to keep it from scarring._

_Yuka would go to the festival every year Kouta couldn't. Just to practice cutting out plaster shapes. She would practice it, and master it! She would prove to Kouta that she could do it! Even though she heard many times that Kouta would not be around anytime too soon, she focussed and hoped every year, that somehow, he would be able to miraculously come over to Kamakura, just for her. She had cried night-times over this._

_Meanwhile in Hokkaido, the confused but stabilizing Kouta went back to finish secondary school. He never managed to get the highest scores, since he had always been a bit behind schedule. During the first and second year after the incident, even though convinced they died in other ways, he mourned over the deaths of both his sister and father as any natural person would. But as a bystander, it was strange to see how the alternation of cause occurred. As if he lied to himself for the better._

* * *

'This can't be real', Kaito thought, as he looked up who Arakawa was. 'Assistant of Kakuzawa's son in the research concerning vaccines'. He was earlier ordered to kill her, by the general. He couldn't reject this command since his promotion to new director really made him warm for plans. Not only did it mean he'd get a higher wage, it brought along certain responsibilities. Definitely something Kaito was hoping to achieve once in his life. The time was now. Was he ready for it? Would he carry out commands flawlessly, regardless of what they concerned?

'Sector B test labs', he thought. He took a quick note and stuck that in his pocket as he stood up. 'Let's be done with this right away'. A 'general purpose' sidearm had been given to him by one of the security guards under direct order of the chief. He never held a gun in his hands before, this was something new. He carefully hid the gun under the curtains of his broad lab-coat. 'I could fit tons in here', he thought grinningly.

It took Kaito about 20 minutes to travel all the way to sector B test lab facility. "She's always in the lab", he remembers Kakuzawa say. "We keep her here because she knew too much". There was no doubt on Kaito's mind that he'd find her there, as he reached for the doorknob of the lab. To his greatest surprise the door in front of him suddenly opened up..

"AAaah", a nerdy lady yelled. "What a coincidence. D-Do I know you?".

Kaito drew the gun. "Shut up!".

She suddenly jumped up in panic.

"Uwwaah! What the hell! What's up with that gun! Don't tell me...".

"Don't make this any harder for me... Arakawa!".

"Please don't kill me", she screams, as she kneels down, into a crouching foetal position".

Kaito only had to pull the trigger to get this job done. There was nobody going to sue him for it in this facility and that he knew very well. But it didn't make the act any more right. So he couldn't. He could not pull the trigger resulting in Arakawa sitting crouched waiting for any bullet to make impact for a good 20 seconds.

Then she peeked upwards to him, just as he dropped his gun and looked down. He deeply sighed as he leaned against a cart that was standing in the hallway.

"I can't do this..."

Arakawa's eyes were shaking..

"...But I must dispose of you in some way!".

"W-What?".

"I fear it's either your life, or mine on the line right now. But damnit, I'm not designed to kill anybody like this!".

Arakawa didn't make sense of the situation as much as Kaito did. But even he seemed dizzy or drowsy by forcing himself in such awkward position.

"Can you... leave this Island? And go back to where you came from? I can arrange a transport".

Arakawa gaped.

"Really? You really want me to go back? I've been waiting for that all this time, so I can finish my research at the university!".

"No no! I want you to stay hidden, vanish, disappear! You got that? Or I'll come get you, understand?".

She nodded.

...

Meanwhile in Lucy's chamber, a few guards work by the side of the wall near some panels on the auxiliary power backup unit. They work thoroughly. Yet every now and then, out of fear, they look at Lucy's cage over their shoulders.

"You heard that story, that she had escaped once?", one of the two says.

"No?"

"Yeah, a security guard dropped a pen inside her cage. The idiot tried to grab it but instead got shred to pieces".

"No way! Man don't try to scare me here!".

"Crazy right? To top the shit up, with the use of his blood, she was able to break the rest of her cage. Also, the guy had the key to her cage so she could actually free herself too".

"You know what?".

"No?".

"I ain't going anywhere near that freaky bitch!"

"Haha! Good thinking dude, but that's a bit obvious right? It's kind of like freaky they have to undo even her clothes for safety".

"Hehehe, but yeah, naked like that she looks kind of hot. How old was she?".

"Don't know man, but too young for you, pervert!".

As the two chat about, they all but notice that Lucy, who had been trapped here for a few weeks already, had nothing better to do, than to listen to their lousy conversation. Being locked up in here she never really knew when she was asleep, or awake. Being tucked up in a very uncomfortable and permanent position, she often felt herself fading in and out of dreams or memories, as now she did once more.

_"Ugh", the boy moaned, as Tomoo kicked him in the stomach. Tears came to his eyes as he met his fate in the orphanage from the first day on._

_"So next time, remember not to ignore us. Next time if you bring cookies, you will give them to us right away! Hahahah"._

_The bully marches off together with his minions, leaving him behind on the floor, crying._

_Kaede stood watching the whole thing from afar underneath the tree on the playground. One of the teachers came around to announce that it was time for food, and the kids all ran off to the mess hall. Except for Kaede and the boy._

_She would have refrained from even the thought, but eventually approached him, against all odds. She would normally not do it. But she did it. Because his presence made Tomoo and his gang not pick on her first, for once._

_The boy was fairly new, if it wasn't the first day he was at the orphanage._

_She didn't say a word, but just stood looking at him closer by. He opened his eyes and looked up. Their eyes met. He immediately noticed her horns. "A-Are you an angel?"._

_"What are you saying! You just got beaten up and you are bragging about angels?"._

_"It's just that...". The boy pauses. "It's been my first day here and it's real hell!"._

_Kaede looks upon him with envy. "At least you know what life was outside of this place!", she says as she breaks their eye contact and looks away._

_He wants to say something, but tears well up in his eyes as he remembers the reason why he ended up here._

_"My mother... She died last week. My father, I never knew him, and we never had any other family. So I end up here"._

_Kaede shows but an emotion since she doesn't understand the value of parents._

_"We made cookies together, last time we were together. After school the next day, she would pick me up, but she never came"._

_Kaede looked back down to him as the sad boy told his story._

_"So those cookies Tomoo stole from you, were they the ones you made with your mother?", she asks._

_The boy nodded sadly._

_"That Tomoo, one day for sure! One day he will pay for this", she said in a monologue way, clenching her teeth._

_The next day she sat alone on the bench on the playground, as always. To her greatest dismay, Tomoo and his gang showed up sooner than she could imagine. 'They were aiming for me, no doubt about that', she thought._

_"Hey hey horns, guess you made a new friend heh?", Tomoo yells as one of his friends pulls the new boy over with a nose-bleed. Although she didn't show pity for him, she felt this kind of attack was new, and different. "Is it really true that I will pay for this one day?", he laughingly says, grinning deep and darkly._

_She instantly looked over to the boy. She knew talking to a new boy wasn't any good. In his eyes she could find guilt, yet that wouldn't make up for the punishment that awaited her now. The boys pull her from the bench by the hairs and sway her around the playground. Unrelentingly they beat her in every place possible, even the face. 'Where do they get all this rage from, when there's nothing to rage about?', she thought for a moment._

_They wouldn't go lightly on her for this one. They took firm grip onto her and she clearly felt the violence from the boys was greatly increased. They pulled her clothes to shreds. "Look at that now! You made a mess of your clothes! Take the rest off now guys!"._

_Doing the unthinkable, Tomoo would now proceed to humiliate her to the fullest, undoing her clothes while all the kids were playing on the playground. At first she resisted with all her force, but that only brought back the beating, and tore her clothes apart even more._

_It was inevitable. While already been undone from her top, they now pushed her to the ground to finish the rest. You could feel the nerves in the boys' acts, as they moved quicker especially after removing her underwear as a final. After that, they quickly ran away, and threw her clothes in the dumpster they ran past. The new boy, instead of paying his debts and getting her clothes, ran away on his own._

_'Great!', she thought. She could have really cried now. But never would she allow herself to cry for something Tomoo did to her. Never! Yet here she stood in the corner of the playground, naked. She picked a bush to stand behind in cover, and waited. The afternoon playing time lasted an hour, and it had only just begun. After that she would have to go back inside with the rest of the kids, and the doors would be locked behind them as they entered._

_'If I wait until all the kids line up, and then go for the dumpster...', she thought. 'It's no use, I'll be either seen or locked out'. She sighed deeply gesturing that she had indeed given up. Just another day at the orphanage. "One day I'll surely get my revenge. One day"._

She snapped back. Once more she found herself in her cage. She might have gotten her revenge, but knew that for the rest of her life she'd have to spend it in solitude in this very cage. She felt so bittered about it, that she soon felt a dark surge take over her heart. Being the second time that this happened, she knew what would be next. 'Not this again', she thinks to herself, as she feels her current consciousness fade, giving way to the purple-eyed dark voice personality that resided within her.

"Could you hand me the pipe wrench?", one of the workers in her chamber says.

"Tanaka? The pipe wrench?"

He looks around and notices that 'Tanaka' isn't there anymore.

"W-What? Tanaka this is no times to play games on me".

A soft but dark female voice suddenly filled the chamber.

"But I'm not playing games with you".

He looked at the cage, then to his right, when suddenly his colleagues head was floating in the air, dripping blood.

"AAARRGH", he screams and jumps up.

Just that instant a million violet hands light up the chamber as they go about smashing everything inside, including the worker, to pieces. The scale of destruction was so heavy it triggered many alarms.

Up in the control room of the chamber, a nearly sleeping operator quickly jumps up.

"Shit! What the fuck now!". He looks out and witnesses the immense destruction of Lucy's unlocked vectors.

He instantly presses a red button on his console, and with that an emergency injection of sedatives and neuro-toxin is administered to Lucy, through a robotic arm that was luckily spared from destruction. She instantly revolts from any further destruction as she now crept up with intense pain. "EEWWAA".

The operator looks at how she gets reduced to sleep in a matter of seconds. All just before she was about to smash the window into his control room. He instantly calls his supervisor.

…

MAPLE INN

"Hurry up Nana, it's your first day", Yuka yells.

They were all ready for the start of the new school year. Kouta and Yuka had barely passed their year and would have to study hard to catch up for their second year at the university. Mayu would do the last few years of junior high as she doubled all those years, but Nana... Nana was something different.

They had to teach her the basic math and Japanese in the few time they had. They couldn't leave her all alone at home either. She had to go to a school. Then they had to fit her into a school without getting too much attention. They had managed to do this subscribing her as a guest student, from another country. But Nana never really liked the idea. She didn't want to go to school and thus she panicked as the day finally came.

"I don't want to!", she yells back.

Yuka comes around and grabs her by the arm. "Don't be silly, now hurry up before you are too late!".

Yuka hands Nana's backpack as she herself hurries out of the house. The group split, Yuka and Kouta would go to the right where Nana and Mayu would go left. "Have a good day you two!", Kouta shouts. "Take care of Nana, Mayu", Yuka yells quickly before they go around another corner.

Nana and Mayu would go separate ways too eventually. Nana's school was located closer to the house than Mayu's junior high school, which was at the other side of Kamakura. It drove fear into Nana's heart when the time came to part. "Here you go Nana", Mayu boasts as they stood in front of the gates of Nana's school.

"I wish we could be in the same class, but unfortunately we can't", Mayu adds before she walks away.

Nana looks down.

"Well, good I'll be going then", Mayu says as she runs off to her own school.

Nana stood in front of the big gate that gave entry to the Kamakura's finest high school. Nana was afraid. She did not know what to think of this all. Above all, she was repeatedly told by Kouta that her reading and math had to improve drastically. Yuka, of course, wanted her to think otherwise. Yuka wanted Nana to feel ok, and not so stressed. Nana thought that the conflicting ideas and opinions were first of all, strange, and second of all, discomforting.

As she entered the court of the school, where many of the young kids of about her age already stood talking with eachother waiting for the bell to ring any minute, she felt lonely. She couldn't spot anybody like her. Nobody else seemed 'new'. Everybody was already in a group.

She stood in a corner, keeping her backpack close to her, quickly looking away as gazes turned towards her. She had Yuka hide her horns with ribbons. Still, her pink hair drew most of the attention from closeby groups. Luckily the bell saved her from any further attention. A bunch of students gather in the centre of the court as the principal walks up to a prepared stage with a microphone.

He welcomes the children warm-heartedly, yet Nana's attention was drawn to a group of boys she had noticed earlier, laughing at her appearance, for reasons unknown. She wouldn't be bothered by it, until suddenly she felt something hard make impact into her head. "Ouch!". The boys go about a streak of laughter, yet keeping themselves quiet enough not to interrupt the principals speech. She was instantly bittered by the grins on their faces. 'I hate school', she thought.

And she would continue to think so, as she stood in front of her class. "Allright students, say welcome to Nana! She's a guest student in our class", the teacher explained, much to Nana's dismay, who would detest being the centre point of interest from the get-go. The students, all looked down on her, even though they were the ones sitting down.

"As you know, guest students from different countries don't know very well how things go in our school, so I would like you all to help her getting used to everything around here. Any questions?".

A girl, sitting in the middle, raised her hand. "Yes?".

"Why is she wearing ribbons! We're not allowed to wear such accessories at school right?".

Nana's fear soon turned into a belly-deep hate towards the girl. 'What's up with her now!', she thought.

"It is true actually", the teacher added. "You too must apply to the rules Nana! But, because you're new, and a guest student, it's ok for today".

"That's not fair", another girl yelled, clearly jealous of Nana's pretty ribbons.

After the quick interrogation, Nana took her seat and their homeroom teacher started explaining all sorts of stuff about what to expect from this year and what not. Nana didn't pay attention too easily. She could not help but sense this discrimination towards the other students. They were so arrogant! They were so... inhumane. Not to Nana, but to each other too, as she noticed a girl being pestered by a group of guys that had seats around her.

Lunch was something Nana was hunkering for. Not only because she loved to eat, but to be released from her class, from the tension she felt coming from the group. But reality struck, as she stood before the mess hall, where she barely spotted any space to sit alone. You were constricted to sitting next to somebody else, and most of the times, a group you didn't know.

What annoyed Nana the most, was the fact that nobody else was new, like her. She always spotted groups, and never individuals. As she queued in for her meal, a few boys had already commenced bullying a kid. The kid had glasses, and was fat. Just because of his looks they bullied him, or at least so it seemed to Nana.

"What's up, glasses!", they yell, as they approach the kid. They push his plate aside and take his position away in the queue. Even the smallest bit of protest from the kid would end up in getting hit by the group. But they kicked him in the gut anyway, and he fell to the ground, as it had made direct impact into his stomach.

A teacher doing overwatch duty had seen this. "That's enough! You two, step out of the line". The teacher wouldn't go lightly on the two. You could tell that by the look on his face. The boy with the glasses got up. Still one hand on his stomach as the pain resonated throughout his belly.

Finally Nana got her plate, but it wasn't anything like Yuka could cook. On the contrary, it had this aroma that told you these were just packages of frozen meals meant for either military, prison or schools like these. Beverage was limited to either milk or water. She chose the latter. 'who would want milk', she thought.

And now the toughest of all situations, finding a spot to eat. Nana felt the social pressure increase, as she could swear a foot tried to make her trip over, yet forcefully failed doing so as an overwatch teacher suddenly looked into her direction.

She finally found a seat next to a group of younger girls. The awkwardness got to her as suddenly the conversation the little girls had halted and turned into silence as they watched her, being annoyed with her sudden presence. Nana looked over, but eventually sat down. She crumpled herself together as they kept their stare upon her. She sat at the far side of the table, quietly consuming her meal. She barely had time to notice how awful this actually tasted. 'I truly... hate school!'.

…

RESEARCH FACILITY

"The results were astonishing!", a scientist points out towards Kakuzawa and Director Kaito, as they both watch upon a vector-reading chart that was recently taken from Lucy.

"Her arms, have multiplied?", Kaito yells.

Kakuzawa grinned.

"But how? Is it the horns? Why hasn't she used this earlier?", Kaito added.

"We know not what these horns might do...", Kakuzawa said. "... But we must definitely execute project B before it's too late".

"Chief, it is too late! She has destroyed all apparatus in her chamber! We can't even stun her anymore! The chamber has turned into a catacomb!", the scientist yells at his chief.

Kaito pinched his chin. "This is truly, the worst of all situations. She is however securely restrained".

"Fuck it! We should have planted those bombs in her from the start!", Kakuzawa spits out.

"The only way to face Lucy right now", Kaito suddenly says. "... Is to use the anti-diclonius team".

"Yes indeed. We should also take extra precaution handling her... Coming to think of it, her clone should be able to re-grow the same horns, have you shot off one of her horns already?".

"Ah, yes, we should get ready for the second one too now".

"Brilliant, prepare a chamber that can contain her current reach, and put her in there as soon as you shoot off that second horn", Kakuzawa says.

"But chief! We have no more space left for such projects!".

"Make space! Kill other diclonii if needed! Come up with something! You are the new director... Kaito!".

Kakuzawa turns around and walks away. "It's in your hands now... Don't dissapoint me".

Kaito sighs as his chief walks off. 'Guess I'll have to take matters into my own hands now. No more cover-ups like I did with Arakawa, it's time to get real'.

Meanwhile Arakawa gets secretly escorted away by chopper. Away from the Island she had been isolated from. But also away from the vaccine research she spent so many weeks working on. She was told by Kaito not to let herself get dragged back into her research. She would do her best, even though it was very tempting.

A few days passed, until she finally couldn't resist anymore, and went back to the university. To the underground lab. It had been cleaned up and stripped from some items. Most of the other stuff was still there. She would have to re-develop a lot of samples to get back on track. But she didn't mind. She was married now... to science! And science, had to be done!

...

Kaito didn't have any more time to keep himself busy studying Lucy's clone and therefore ordered his assistant to carry out shooting off the second horn.

"She's still not fully awake sir, do you want me to continue?", a worker asks him. Kaito's assistant nods. Again the laser-beam hums as it charges, and not a moment too soon a laser smashes her last horn to pieces.

"Check vitals immediately!". A few workers jump over to various workstations and carry out commands. "She's ok, professor! Or wait a minute! She's fainting".

The men look from behind the glass, watching as blood was flowing from her last horn, when suddenly.

*BOOM*

In rapid succession the whole chamber was filled with dust from an unknown explosion.

"What was that!", Kaito's assistant yelled.

"I-I don't know sir! Hey you, send security in there!", a co-worker orders to a security staff supervisor.

"Maximize performance of suction units in the air ventilation. This dust is blocking all the view!", he then ordered.

After some time waiting the dust turned into mist revealing something to the scientists they would have never anticipated. Lucy's clone lay on the floor surrounded by a ten metre radius of pure destruction. Even some of the walls in her chamber were blasted, revealing the corridors that ran behind them.

"MY GOD, DID ANYBODY GET HURT?", Kaito's assistant shouts out as he watches in disbelief.

'This! It can't be real!'.

"Security! Contain her as quick as you can".

Guards surround her as she lay motionless in a puddle of her own blood.

…

Once again the men sit in the boardroom to discuss the unexpected events that had occured over the past few days.

Kakuzawa sat at the head of the table. Many of the scientists of the cloning facility, including Kaito and Yukinari were also invited.

After a couple of minutes of silence, Kakuzawa finally begins his speech.

"There seems to be a difference in the genes silpelits carry around after all. We see now how Lucy has proven herself once more, the ultimate diclonius".

He stands up from his chair to reveal a few slides.

"These are CT scans of her brain. As you can see, every hour she significantly heals from the damage that had been caused to her when we shot off her horns. The destruction that took place looked similar to the crater we found in Kamakura, suggesting that Lucy might have had the same thing happening to her. The ability to heal and devestate, amongst other encounters such as visible vectors with the original Lucy, marks the start of a new breed. A mutation, or evolution. We must also be aware that the stakes have increased here. We can lose control over the two very easily now.".

"But Chief, isn't she the original queen to begin with? Why would you then call it a new breed".

"She is the queen... but not in her original form. She has evolved. Therefore we must multiply her as quick as we can. Cloning is way too strange and uncertain. We should rely on project B.

Everybody in the room thought deeply from this point on.

Kakuzawa continued:

"We must immediately contain the original Lucy. Her chamber is completely defective. The anti-diclonius team should be able to get her out using their stun-guns. For her clone, we have a specialized chamber being set up. For now you're all dismissed. We will be briefing soon, as we prepare Lucy's transformation with project B".

…

KAMAKURA

Mayu waited for what seemed hours near the gates of Nana's school. A constant flow of student made Mayu believe she might have missed her for some reason. But she didn't, they definitely said they would wait for each other near the gates. But Nana wasn't there. Mayu was truly worried about her, so she went inside.

"Umm excuse me...", Mayu said as she stood in in the lobby calling over a secretary. "... I'm looking for a friend of mine who's new here". A woman in her 40's looks away from her screen towards Mayu.

"She's supposed to be going home together with me, but I haven't seen her exit the gates".

"Hmm? Strange...".

"She has pink hair...".

"Oh that girl!", the secretary frowned, upon finding out who it was.

"W-What do you mean 'that girl'".

"Her math-teacher told me to put her up for detention tomorrow since she left his class early in some sort of dispute".

"R-Really? But that's not like her".

"I don't know the details, he told me she was very arrogant. But hey don't worry, the math-teacher isn't one of the easiest around here", the secretary boasts, chuckling slightly.

Mayu ran off, clearly shocked about it. 'Nana, why would she run away from school like that, she must be home then!'.

…

Kouta and Yuka were just getting home, where they found Nana in front of the door sitting down.

"N-Nana? You're here already? Where's Mayu?", Kouta asked. But Nana didn't answer. She covered her eyes.

"She's crying", Yuka said.

"H-Huh".

Yuka pushed Kouta aside and went over to sit next to Nana.

"What's the matter, Nana? Did something happen?".

She didn't answer right away, but eventually looked up and said: "I hate school!".

"Aww, Nana don't be like that. It's your first day at school".

"They wanted me to take off my ribbons".

"Huh?".

"It's not allowed at school, to wear those. And above all, nobody there is nice to me!".

Kouta and Yuka looked towards one another, and sighed deeply.

"Let's go inside now, we'll talk about this later". Yuka said and patted Nana's head.

Just then Mayu arrived breathing heavily.

"N-Nana-san! You're here thank god".

Yuka and Kouta looked over, and smiled.

…

RESEARCH FACILITY

As the night shift started and the shift-change occurred for the workers in the new chamber, Kaito stood in the grand observatory watching upon them.

"Director!", a worker suddenly shouts out towards him.

He thought for a second. 'Right, I'm director now'. He grinned.

"What is it?".

"We've got a problem, a worker got stuck in Lucy's chamber doing some repairs! Nobody knows what actions to undertake!".

"Shit! Alright let's head out there quickly".

The two move swiftly just a few levels lower. Into the catacomb's observatory, where a group of co-workers stood helplessly watching upon their trapped colleague.

Kaito looks as he sees a rover-like vehicle on it's side very dangerously close to Lucy's perimiter. The rover was made up out of an electro-static metal that generally deflects vectors, just like the anti-diclonius team's suits.

"What happened!", Kaito asked.

"He was supposed to run those cable linings to the other side of the chamber, but got too close to her. She knocked the rover over and now he's stuck in there! There's no way to transfer her without the proper linings fixed!".

Kaito pressed his glasses further onto his nose, in a Kurama-like way. Then without saying a word, descended the stairs from the observation area down towards the chamber.

"D-Director where are you going. Y-You're not going in there are you?".

But even against the suggestions of his colleagues, he would not stop. He moved through the sliding doors directly into the partly damaged and palely illuminated chamber. Step by step, closer and closer to Lucy.

"D-Director! Have you got a deathwish?!".

The workers stood powerlessly watching upon Kaito's every move. Then at the two metre mark, he halted. Silence was introduced. Only the faint hum of the fluorescent light was audible. Lucy wore her harness but was clearly aware of his presence.

"I cannot help but admire you...", he suddenly said.

"Huh?", Lucy replied.

Back in the control room the men are figuring out what's happening.

"Somebody should get him out of there", one of the workers says.

"What's he saying anyway?", another one asks.

Back in the chamber Lucy preserves the silence.

Kaito continued:

"Ever since I started working here, I heard about you. Heard about how you were captured. How you were put here. We barely ran any test on you, to preserve you. All that time. You... You had to deal with this confinement".

"...", Lucy wanted to say something but this odd conversation took away her words for replies.

"Yet I cannot be mistaken. You have killed so many. Some of which were close colleagues of mine. Even Kurama and his assistant Shirakawa. Thousands of security guards, an innocent young secretary, and even more innocent souls that had to be kept outside of this!".

"What do you want to achieve. No matter what, I'll kill you all!".

Kaito felt fear pump into his heart. He thought for a few seconds.

"Why... Why do you want to do that".

"... Because you people have taken away all that I had. You took away my freedom and ability to be with the only person I ever loved".

'Uhh? Did she just say she loves somebody?', Kaito thought.

"You're a monster, Lucy. How can you possible love somebody? All you do is kill humans. That is your sole purpose. That is what your race was born for".

"... What are you talking about. You people made me this way. You people stole everything from me. You people made me miserable. You're the monsters! You should be put in this cage".

"As I thought! YOU are the true enemy to the human race! It's deep down in your genes. It confuses even you. Feelings like love will soon turn in on yourself! There's simply no way you..."

Suddenly Lucy picks up the rover.

"Uhhh!", Kaito hisses.

But instead of doing what was expected, she gently places the rover back on it's four wheels.

'It can't be! An act of generosity?', he thought.

The men in the observatory watched with their mouths wide open. Complete disbelief. "Did Kaito do that?".

"I won't be killing anybody anymore from now on...", Lucy added. "...I really don't care anymore. You have sucked all the life out of me. Labeling me the monster when the true monsters are you people in the end".

Kaito looked up to her with his mouth wide open.

She continued:

"I'm done with this all. I've had a miserable life. I've taken away so many lives. Then when I finally got to realize that what I've been doing all that time, would come back to me, I figured out there's only one way to end this. I also realize very well that I will fall to my end here. I deserve no different".

It was Kaito's turn to stand without words now. Another episode of silence.

'What is this with her. Why is she suddenly like this? It's a trap! It must be'.

Then he does the unthinkable, and steps into the red circle indicating the 2 metre radius.

"DIRECTOR!".

"I don't believe you", is all he says, and he closes his eyes.

He stood nearly underneath her. And stayed there for a good minute. When suddenly:

"Isn't it fun? Staying inside this circle doing nothing? Waiting for nothing? Waiting to die?".

It brought Kaito into a state in which he questioned himself.

'What am I doing here. What have I been told all this time. A monster? What would I do if I was held captive like this! Am I really the first one thinking about this? Am I really going to execute Kakuzawa's plans? Project B her? Even more, assist the lebensborn project? Is that my true purpose here? Destroy the humanity? What the fuck am I doing. The only one who can stop this is me. I have a chance to stop this all'.

"Lucy... "

An alarm suddenly rang.

The whole crew inside the observatory went nuts. "Shit! It's her clone! She's on the loose again?".

Kaito looks around. Lucy suddenly lured back his attention.

"It's her, isn't it?".

"H-How do you know?".

"...".

"Shit, to hell with this!".

Kaito runs away back to the control room, but as he arrives he is struck with fear as the room was now painted in red. The blood of his colleagues smeared all over the place. Organs lay open on the floor. Corpses barely recognizable.** There she stood, in front of the glass, looking at her original self, Lucy's clone!**


	8. Yuka

**This is a short in-between chapter about Yuka. I've added this, because just like the anime, some episodes were devoted to pure flashbacks. Such as e09 in the anime. It's shorter than the rest and does not pick up where the previous chapter left off, that is for chapter 9 unfortunately. But fear not, you'll notice that chapter 9 will be a big thing. A great moment in the story so far. For now, just enjoy this one.**

* * *

_"Will you come next year?", Yuka asks Kouta as they say goodbye to each other by the station_

_"Sure!"_

_"It's a promise, right? Fore sure?"._

_"I really like you, Yuka. So just wait for me!"._

_"Sure, I'll wait for you, no matter how long it takes! So please, don't forget about me!"._

* * *

Poor little Yuka hadn't a clue. She would be the last to know. To find out what happened to Kouta.

"What happened to him?".

"There was an accident... sweety", her mother used to say.

Yuka stared out into the pale orange evening sky as the sun started setting.

~"The funeral is next week. We'll have to travel to Hokkaido... .

'I'll get to see you again, Kouta', she thought.

Yuka traveled together with her mother. She couldn't help but feel sad. Even though she was going to see the boy her heart lay closest to. Ojisan and Kanae were dead. The first few days she couldn't believe it. But it was slowly sinking in, the realization of the true situation.

…

A bunch of people she never met. Family close to Kouta's, but distant for Yuka and her mother. All dressed in black. Faces all sad. Yuka couldn't remember well how the ceremony went. All she could remember was that Kouta wasn't there. She tugged her mother's arm numerous times. "Where's Kouta".

Her mother looked back at her with a sad and painful face. "...Yuka please". It took a while before a nice man she never knew gave her some attention. "Kouta's not going to be around for a while. He's in the hospital right now".

'Hospital?', she thought to herself. "Is he hurt?". "No, not at all. It's just... he will need some time to recover from his shock". Yuka's hopes and dreams smashed into oblivion by just a simple realization. Realizing that Kouta will not be around any time soon. Not now, not tomorrow. But maybe next year? 'We made a promise after all!'.

Days passed and the festival came closer. Yet still nothing was heard from Kouta. Yuka started worrying. Yet she hoped that on the day of the festival itself, he would miraculously appear in front of her. Or to be realistic, at the station at least.

But he didn't. The yearly habit of her uncle, Kanae and Kouta visiting them vanished. It stung her like a sharp needle straight through the heart. Just that simple fact that they weren't there when they were supposed to. Nights she cried over this.

At the day of the festival, she had to go all by herself. But she was determined to practice cutting plaster shapes at THAT stall. It felt awkward being all alone and asking for a shape to cut. But she started practicing anyway. "A c-ranked one please!", she shouted out to the guy behind the stall. She started vigorously cutting away and failed so many times. She didn't even seem to progress at all. She gave up and went home. Kouta's absence bit her. She was sobbing her way home literally.

Months went by, and before she knew it, another year went by. Another festival without him. But this time she managed to practice more. Cutting c-shaped ones were not as tricky as they seemed at first. Still she wondered why Kouta never sent her any letters or got back in touch with her.

Only years later Yuka's mother finally told her that what truly happened to Kouta, and how Kanae and uncle had been killed in ways brutal as such. It brought her some sense. "So that's why I haven't heard of him!", she said.

"Yuka don't worry. He just needs some time"., her mother used to say.

School would keep Yuka busy most of the year. She was keen on getting a high score but always ended up average. If she would just be able to spend the summer with Kouta, it would all be fine. But no. She wouldn't anticipate it so greatly either anymore. But just somewhere in the back of her head, whenever summer started, she hoped that he would come over.

There were many boys. Many boys at school and in her neighbourhood that really liked her. Clearly giving away their hints, or sometimes directly telling her, she often told them off and refused their offerings. It characterized her. She was a 'tough girl to date', simply because you could not date her to begin with. She could throw up just thinking of giving up Kouta and get with other boys. Yet then again she noticed how 'in love' she still was with a boy she liked one summer, years ago.

Was it the accident that dramatized this all? Was it the accident that gave her these emotions or was she really in love with him? Was Kouta really the love of her life she was always hoping to be with. Time blurred her ability to judge upon it. What seemed yesterday at first, melted away into memories that one could only long to relive. She barely remembered what he looked like, and she lacked pictures of him. The only thing she still had, was the music box he forgot to bring with him, with Kanae's seashell. She guarded the box some place very safe, so she could be praised by him if she ever got the chance to give it back.

5 years after the accident, Yuka finally hears of Kouta. The news is quite strange. "He is doing well and finishing high school just like you Yuka", her mother told her. 'Does this mean that he is corresponding with mother and deliberately ignoring me instead?', she thought. "Doctors are still not very sure about his condition. He is doing fine but it's best not to give him too much stress they told me", her mother said.

Yuka frowned. "Why is he never visiting us!", she said being slightly disappointed.

Her mother would then go over to her like she always did. As Yuka sat down in a chair she would hold her hands above her shoulders. "Yuka. Don't worry. It might confuse Kouta a little if he would visit us now. But given the current situation in Hokkaido, he might be best off studying at the university here when the time comes!".

"Really? Like really really?".

"Yeah sure! Kouta would have to travel a long way otherwise. The closest university is 20 minutes on the train.. I could lend him the old inn and he would be able to move in and study together with you here".

Yuka's relief was almost palpable as she sighed away her worries. 'So after all I get to meet him again'.

Even though it was never said he would visit that summer, she now had something to look out to. Even if that wasn't even sure.

Only later that same year Yuka's interest was drawn to the actual accident Kouta was in. 'If there was a murderer on the train, why did he spare Kouta's life?', she often thought. She started feeling lucky Kouta was still alive. But felt bittered by the loss of Kanae and ojisan.

She reached an age where she was old enough to do some research by herself. She started collecting all kinds of documentation around. The newspaper articles that varied immensely. Some said it was definitely a serial killer behind this all. Others said the train was hijacked.

It drove her to a point where she actually made an appointment in the Kamakura police station. They were willing to expose some of the evidence and real documentation that was not open to the public, because she was direct family of the victims. If her mother only knew what she was up to, she would forbid her from doing any such research.

"Hello young lady", a friendly officer said as he shortly bowed before her, leading her inside the office of the police station. "You were here for the incident with the train right? An anonymous tip I presume?", the man said as he started leading her to the bureau's.

Yuka frowned.

"Not at all? I called to get some more information from the investigation. It was never given to us at the time".

"Oh I see", the officer said as he scratched the back of his head. "My mistake. I often confuse these kind of appointments. As a matter of fact, we've been working with a few witnesses lately that were willing to testify".

"The case is still running?", Yuka promptly said as her eyes shuddered.

The officer halted and turned towards her. "You didn't know? Yes this case has been running for about 5 years now. But we're finally coming to an end".

"Hm?"

"Come in, I'll show you".

He lead her inside a small office where files lay scattered around. Blended in with the many sheets that lay on top of them. Disorganized and chaotic.

"Uhh, you can sit here if you want to. Yeah sorry for the hassle, we don't have any interview-rooms available at the moment... BUT, we do have all the evidence we need in this one room".

Meanwhile a short and fat man entered the room. He was in his fourties.

"Ah, that's our main man here", the officer suddenly said as he started calling out to the man.

"Inspector Hideki was in charge of the case up until now".

"So the case is not running anymore?", Yuka asks, slightly brought into confusion.

"Well no, the case is still open, but a secret service has taken the investigation upon them, it's THAT sensitive.".

"Really? What is this all about then?".

"Sit down first young lady", inspector Hideki suddenly said as he returned from the coathanger where he hung his hat. "We'll go through all the details you want, we've got time enough now anyway. So... you say you're direct family of the last surviving victim? Kouta right?".

"Umm, Yes I'm his cousin".

"Oh right, how is he doing at the moment?".

"Well hmm, about that... I don't really hear of him. He lives in Hokkaido and we never spoke since the accident, unfortunately", Yuka says as she sadly looked downwards.

"Oh so I see, I'm sorry. Well it's kind of a burden we can't talk to him directly. Doctors have forbade us from interviewing him directly. It would do damage they said. In any case it's …"

"... Damage?", Yuka suddenly said, interrupting the inspector.

"Look, we don't know his current state of health. We actually know as much as you do probably. The good thing is that YOU are here now. You're the closest thing related to the victim at the moment. So let's take this from the start. Do you remember the night when it happened?".

"Y-Yes I do, but how is my testimony going to help you forward? I probably know as much as you do. Besides, isn't the investigation out of your hands?".

"Young lady, we are no regular investigators. We take our job serious and we're also curious to find out who was the culprit in this case. We're eager to find out because it's... it's in our damn blood!", the inspector suddenly shouted out with an angry aftertone.

"Sorry I got lost there for a while. You might notice that we clearly dislike the fact that the case was taken from our hands".

"D-Don't mind it, it's ok", Yuka said, slightly frightened.

"So, please. Tell us what happened that evening. Were you with him? Did you meet him?".

"Well, it was the night of the festival. We were all together. But Kouta and I ran astray. His father, my uncle, was probably looking for us at first, but he knew that we were good and would eventually return. Kanae, Kouta's little sister, in her turn, ran away from us".

"So, I see. What happened next?".

"Something strange happened at the festival, a bomb of some sort".

The inspector tried to say something but Yuka kept talking.

"Kouta's father got worried and eventually found us, immediately insisting in bringing us away from the festival. Kouta would then go home on the night-train with his father. That's the last time I saw them".

"Fascinating! So you were the last persons to see Kanae and her father alive".

"... I-I guess so...", Yuka stutteringly said.

"Well about that bomb", the inspector continued. "That was no ordinary bomb. In fact we believe that was no bomb at all. Not one witness reported an explosion or loud noise. Also we lack the evident shrapnell for such an event. We also don't have any weapons to work with. Nothing! A dead end. A handful of people brutally killed in the middle of the street in the goddamn festival and not one hint could be given. It still beats me".

"So... You're saying that...".

"Listen. In Kamakura, we were never before confronted with any massacres or murders as these. We were literally shocked by the sudden uprise in mysterious killings in the last few years. But listen up now, all of these brutal killings had one thing in common. So obvious in fact, that we could easily link them together. They were all committed without any trace. No weapon could even be associated with the style they were killed in. We were thinking of a katana of some sort for a while. Still now it seems to be the most probable weapon of use. Yet some of these killings are extremely hard to accomplish with a ka...".

Suddenly the officer patted the inspector's shoulder. "Hideki, please!". Forcing the inspector to notice Yuka's pale face.

"I'm sorry my child. You really don't need to hear all this. Look I'm just trying to tell you that it's not all that easy, and this remains the most mysterious case ever held here in Kamakura".

"You say there were many similar killings? I remember there was a serial killer on the loose that summer...".

"... Yes! That was the same guy! It started in an orphanage! My stomach still turns of the thought. I was to step in there and conduct my investigation. I was new to this kind of macabre crime scenes back then. I'm getting used to it now but back then, I was really touched by this. An orphanage! They were merely 10 years old. Children! How can a man be capable of doing such a thing?".

"Yuka bit her lip. What happened back there then?".

"We don't know! Similar to the festival, an explosive killing of some sort. Above all, the murderer kidnapped a poor girl. Hah, we still have a search party up for her. Here's a photo".

The inspector shoves over a small picture to Yuka. A pink-haired girl standing behind a few other boys. Yuka noticed her horns but took it for a hair-accessory, and the inspector did so as well.

"The poor child, probably tortured and killed in ways unimaginable. It's safe not to think otherwise. The killer did venture on. From time to time he would raid the house of an innocent random family, and kill them. Yet these killings were quickly, and not as horrid as the ones I talked about before".

"Hmm? Why is that", Yuka asked.

"We still don't know for sure. A few of us think it was a scavenging tour. Well, after the festival, killings reduced but remained persistent. The selection of victims was entirely random so we never got the chance to ambush him, or think of any pattern he works in".

"What about the train, I never seen anybody else board it".

"Well actually I was about to ask you. You were the last people to see them. They boarded the train. That train did not stop until Tokyo where they already found them dead. Somewhere between Kamakura and Tokyo something happened. To add some more mystery, there was a hole in the ceiling of the cabin. The tools to make such a hole... would be huge, really. A witness told us he noticed a train driving like that exiting Kamakura. A lot of others notified us with the same sighting. But having a witness telling us it left like that in Kamakura already? Strange isn't it? Things like these start to make you believe in ghosts".

"Are you going to tell me ghosts did this?", Yuka says angrily.

"N-No young lady please calm down", a more careful inspector now says to soften her nerves. "We still have our focus on this case ever since we started. But it's just one hell of a weird case isn't it?".

Yuka didn't really have much to add. She didn't really find the interview constructive. All her own investigation lead to dead ends, or insanely deviated from what these men worked up. It did sound like the most trustworthy information thus far. With a big question mark still raised, she head back home, and wonders what happened, and why.

…

A few weeks after her initial research Yuka noticed a strange link between the orphanage and the festival incident. 'If what the inspector said was true, both explosive killings, then there is no doubt about it. It must have started in the orphanage. Killings after the festival and the train where Kouta was on, reduced'.

She sank deeper into her investigations, and felt the need to grab her magnifier and broad coat, to play inspector for herself. She was determined to start at the orphanage the next day, and look for clues. She was determined to conduct successful research!

…

And so it was, the next day she stood in front of the gate of the orphanage. It lacked a specific name, but it was the only one in Kamakura. Safely tucked in behind the trees in the forest between the hills. However it's safe location was enchanting, the atmosphere was that of a dark dusty forgotten island. Where kids with all sad faces hoped that Yuka would adopt them, free them, from their prison.

There was no lobby, just a playground with some bushes and a tarmac surface. Double-doors stood wide open inviting any potential parents in. As she walked inside, she was noticed by a teacher. An older woman with geeky glasses. "Can I help you?".

"Umm, yes actually. I was hoping to get some information", Yuka shyly asks.

"Visiting is from 7am until 5pm, and you can always take kids out for a day-trip if you like".

"No, it's not that... I want to know more about an incident that happened here 5 years ago", Yuka says silently, yet surely.

There was no mistake the woman understood her. She nearly dropped her jaws. "Well, I only work here for 2 years, but I'll get somebody who can help you".

The woman walks quickly into a classroom just up the corridor, and soon after a teacher, aged around 35, with angled glasses came back with her.

"Hello young lady. Do you have a lot of questions around that specific subject?", he asks, slightly nervously.

"I was hoping to get some of your time. But if you're busy then...".

"Not at all... Let's find ourselves a classroom".

She followed the teacher all the way inside the small building to an empty classroom. There were many drawings of the orphans hanging on the wall. Some looked sober, cold, dark and sometimes even creepy or evil. None of them emanated even one positive thought. The room was giving Yuka the creeps and she couldn't tell why. Was it the bad lighting? The muffled-away sunlight that was blocked off by trees that seamlessly grew next the windows?

"So what's your name young lady?".

"Uhmm.. Yuka".

"Oh fine, my name is Ichiro. I am the main teacher around here. Been working here for about 13 years. If you ask me why I wanted to work in an orphanage now, I wouldn't be able to answer you. But I felt it was my duty, to teach orphans about life. Teach them what parents normally teach their children. But I never expected orphans could become this miserable".

Yuka widened her eyes. "W-What do you mean by that?".

"It's just... There has never been peace around this place. Bully's, and brats. Some of the worst things and acts I've seen in my entire life. If I myself was an orphan inside this orphanage, I would reside to hang myself instead".

Obviously shocked by the loose manner the teacher said that last thing in, Yuka frowned and tucked her hands between her legs shyly.

"So you wanted to find out what happened here that one day 5 years ago?".

Yuka silently nods to confirm that's what she wanted to hear about.

"Well grab onto something. I'm very radical when it comes to having my own opinion about stuff. The others will tell you that a murderer came here and slaughtered a bunch of innocent orphans in ways so brutal that you couldn't even imagine them to begin with! Above all, he kidnaps one girl and she is never heard or found. She still remains 'missing'... Well let me tell you this...".

Yuka swallows as she feels the teacher reach a darker tone in his voice.

"That girl that is missing, was a freakshow! She gave everybody the creeps. She showed no emotions. She was constantly bullied by some boys. Strangely enough those boys are amongst the victims of the on-slaught. I remember some of the teachers were too afraid to go in and help her get rid of those 'fevers' she had. That's another thing, the child had fevers monthly, out of the blue! Other kids did not want to share their room with her, so she slept alone. I'm so certain, something about that kid was evil. I wasn't superstitious before in my life. But after the incident I was convinced!".

Yuka started shivering. Something about this place. The walls were closing in on her. The darkness of the room, of the teacher's voice. She started panicking. He continued.

"She was different from the rest! That kid was a true satan. She did all this! There's no doubt about it that she killed all the other kids! I KNOW IT FOR SURE. Above all she had ho..."

"STOP IT!", Yuka suddenly yelled.

The teacher was completely flabbergasted by her sudden command.

She got up and ran out of the orphanage as if the teacher was a beast, as if the orphanage, was somehow haunted. She was so frightened about it all, that she deliberately chose to stop her investigations. It was too much for her head to bear.

But that wasn't all that day. As she waited for the bus, she noticed a man dressed in a black suit. Still frightened she felt this man was following her, as she stepped onto the bus. Assumptions turned to reality as the man suddenly patted her on the shoulder, and she jumped up in panick.

"AAh!"

"Lady, I advise you to stop at whatever you are trying to do".

"Uhh? What do you mean?".

The bus stopped at the next stop, and the man gestured her to follow him. They both descended from the bus, and a black sedan was already waiting for them behind the bus.

"Step in please".

So frightened by this encounter, and not sure what they would do, Yuka complied without questioning. They drove her to the police station, where she was yesterday, and took her to the bureau where she sat with the inspector.

"W-Where's the inspector", she asked.

"We had to fire them. They were too indulgent. Too committed to their case. We had to stop them".

"But then, who are you guys? What are you up to".

"I'm afraid we can't tell you that. But then again I'm also afraid that they have been telling you about the one's who took the case from their hands, Yuka".

Clearly shocked that the man knew her name, she froze.

Another man in the corner went on:

"Yuka, we've been following your every move, and we knew that you were family of one of the victims. I'm very sorry about your loss, really. It should have never happened. We should have been earlier. Yet again I can't tell you any more. Just go home and forget about all this. Live a happy life while you still can. There are so many more fun things out there a girl your age should be busy with. Perhaps, finding the right boy to spend the summer with", the man said winkingly.

'Does he know about Kouta and is he playing a dirty trick on me?'.

"Look, my child. Don't worry, you haven't done anything wrong. It's just that you shouldn't nose into business as rough as this. We're talking about a rude killer here. We just don't want a young innocent and pretty girl involved, understood?".

Yuka nodded obediently. Maybe they were right. They seemed like regular guys. They had to keep the case secret after all, so they did their job, nothing more. Maybe Yuka should just drop it, and wait for Kouta. For that was her true goal. To be with him again, and play together, just like old times.

But she now questioned for the first time: **Would he too long to play with her again? Would Kouta feel just like she did? Longing to come over and study together? She was convinced that somewhere he would. They made a promise after all.**


	9. Forgotten

**For those of you who have been waiting for this - although I strongly doubt anybody really did - chapter 9 has finally arrived!**

**This chapter has been a lot of work, re-writing, optimizing. I've also made it slightly larger than the standard chapter. This is the prequel to the 3-chaptered finale that follow after this one. I have been pushing on this one and finally got it finished. Situations turn extreme here. You will soon realize that. It's getting harder for me to place the characters inside a frame other than those they were put into in the original series. In other words: I'm trying to make them seem realistic in very strange situations. It's been hard and has taken up some time. I hope you guys enjoy reading this. Because in the end, it's all that really matters!**

**Enjoy this!**

* * *

_Kouta spent his last years of high school living alone in the suburbs close to school. He was partly parented by the family that remained available to him, but soon got taught how to live by himself._

_He wrote and received letters to and from Yuka's mother yearly. But the next letter had upset him a little._

_"_

_Dear Kouta,_

_Like we said before, it's still ok for you to come over to Kamakura next year to study together with Yuka here. It will be just like the old vacation stay-overs. Yuka's really looking forward to see you again soon, she says._

_If you don't feel like it, don't hesitate to just tell me. Things have been a bit rough and all that, I can understand that too. Just let me know if you're ok with it._

_See you soon!_

_"_

_'Things have been rough?', Kouta thought. 'What does she mean by that?'. Slightly puzzled he puts down the letter and tries to decide. 'Will I take this opportunity? It would be handy however'. He continued thinking over this chance, but did not even once think about Yuka or how it used to be 7 years ago. He simply erased it from his mind!_

* * *

**There she stood, in front of the glass, looking at her original self, Lucy's clone!** And across the room, Kaito. She didn't care to notice him, gasping for air as he started freaking out. He looked out onto the pale naked skin of Lucy's clone. Her mortal beauty. It seemed like he hung from a cliff standing right there in the same room with her. Then she suddenly turned towards him. A sudden move that he had anticipated, even though he wasn't prepared for it. Not looking at him, but looking down, she approached him. Her face was not recognizable with all her hair covering it. Fear ruled the landscape of Kaito's heart as it was surged into it.

She came closer and Kaito stepped back out of pure fear. Luckily for him, she passed beside him and went through the door to the stairwell, to descend the stairs. To enter Lucy's chamber.

The sliding doors opened up for her, letting her inside the chamber. Standing there with her true self.

Silence came down on them once more. "So it's you", Lucy's clone suddenly said. Kaede remained silent.

There was no doubt. They had felt each other's presence in ways very profound. Very pure even in shape. They could touch each other solely with their psychic ability. Touch each other's minds. They felt so entangled. More than with any other diclonius. Yet there was a difference. They both felt they had a problem with each other. For reasons unknown. But those feelings were persistent, like an itch in the back of your head you need to scratch. They just couldn't help but notice this difference, and scratch it away if they could.

"Who are you", Lucy suddenly asked. The clone smiled. "You should know that by now".

'That voice. It reminds me of... No it can't be! It's that voice?'.

Lucy's psyche collapsed. Shuddering inside her as she associated her clone with the voice of her dna. As all people, she wanted to face her fear, and she now saw the opportunity to strike against it. Whether or not that was the incarnated voice of her dna, she had the feeling she needed to eliminate her.

"You have such a nice body, I almost envy it", the clone suddenly said. "Too bad mine is just a copy of that". Lucy jumped. 'What? Why did she say that?'.

"Let me help you see", the clone says. Her vectors grab the helmet and shatter it without harming Lucy. Her hair expanded and waved down freely. She could now see her purple variant stand in front of herself.

She opened her eyes widely. Shocked and amazed to see that she must have been an exact copy of her own body. Yet the purple hair made her think of the voice.

'No doubt it's her', Lucy thought. 'No doubt about it... I must kill her...'.

"Tucked up here in your cell, completely giving up on yourself, your own worth. Simply weak", her clone started. "You are forgetting your instincts. You are giving up too soon. But that's over now. We can stand together. We can destroy the rotten humans and keep all the good things to stay in our own world. We are the only one's who can change the world as it is today".

A strange force drew Kaede into believing and following the voice. Was this truly the embodiment of her voice? She noticed how the voice in her head went silent for as long as she had been unconscious. 'Maybe when the voice is present', she thought. 'Maybe it's because it has nowhere else to go'. Her strange array of thoughts was interrupted by her clone.

"Listen to me! We can make a place to live! Our place".

Lucy couldn't help it. Something attracted her to join in on this plan to change the world. It was like an urge. Just like that of a strong sexual urge. But this urge, was rather like an urge to kill, non-stop.

"No!", Lucy said.

The clone's eyes widened. "W-What? What did you just say?".

"I said no! I've had enough of this! You have caused me nothing but sadness in the end! There is no such place for me to make. There truly is, no place for us in this world!".

"What are you saying! We both know that we can't co-exist. That's the reason we must kill all those rotten humans. We must purify this place. Once and for all. You know best that they will end up killing you instead. Do you really think you'll be able to live on much longer when you're kept here?".

"I might have had a miserable life, but have a greater understanding now. If I die, it would only be what I deserved, and even that would not settle for...".

"Get it together! You've lost all your power. That's why I'm here! You can rely on my power. Together, the humans don't stand a chance against us! We must kill. You're worthless if you can't kill!".

'Worthless?', Lucy thought. 'Am I really worthless if I don't kill?'.

"Join me! I will show you how this world can truly be beautiful".

That last sentence did it. She thought of Kouta once more upon hearing the word "beautiful". How pitiful she felt for herself now. Powerless. But a strong warm surge rested upon her all of the sudden. An energy, very playful and humane. Nyu's energy waved into her.

"NO", she yelled. "I'm done with this all! But I'm not done killing yet!", Lucy shouts.

"Huh?".

"Even if it's the last thing I'll do, I'll be killing YOU".

Suddenly the rover that lay on it's side flew into the clone's direction, and she jumped up to avoid it with just an inch.

"So we're playing it like this now? Don't worry, I can end you sooner than you may think". Her clone wraps her thousands of purple colored super-hot iron-melting vectors around the vector-deflecting cage, and against laws of physics, squeezes it inwards, aiming to squash Lucy together.

In her turn, Lucy shoots out an uncountable amount of ruby-red hands to counter her, and releases herself from her cage. Just in time, before the melting iron was crashed together. She ran a few steps to the left but got knocked down quickly getting serious impact from the rover that was sent flying back to her.

"Did that hurt? Oh I'm sorry! Just make up your mind quickly, before I melt your face to liquid".

A bunch of vectors nearly shoot into Lucy's face as she ducks down, unable to summon her own vectors from the pain inside her head. But it was too late. One vector got hold of her leg, and made her stumble on her back. The temperature scorched her skin. Burned her badly. The pain was of such degree, that she nearly fainted. "AAAARRHHG, LET GO OF ME".

Her clone grinned down upon her as she stepped closer to Lucy. "If I pull lightly now, I can tug off your leg, funny isn't it?". Lucy felt her leg being burned through, like something squeezing. Luckily it stopped, and her clone started screaming loudly.

"EWWAA". 'What's going on', Lucy thought, deeply in pain. But she soon found out. A stun round penetrated into her skin, and she too felt a whole different kind of pain take over. A pain she was familiar with. The anti-diclonius team had moved in already, and stopped the bickering twins before they had the chance to kill each other.

Kaito and his assistant step closer by, together with the team. "That was, intense", his assistant noted. Kaito thought for a moment. "Intriguing how they managed to touch vector deflecting metals..."

"Kaito! Come quick", a team member suddenly shouts.

The two storm over, near Lucy.

"Look at her lower leg, this burn mark".

"That's one ugly burn mark there"

"Do you realize the temperature needed to scorch flesh in this way? It's amazing".

Kaito stared upon it. 'Lucy', he thought. 'Who are you. What are you'.

…

MAPLE INN

Kouta, Yuka and Nana sat at the table. Nana looked down in shame. Shame that she ran away from school. But Yuka and Kouta couldn't help it either. She was nearly exposed. God knows what would have happened if they saw her horns. "She would get bullied for it", Yuka mentioned.

"I have a plan now", Kouta said.

"You might not be able to go to school, but we can't leave you here either. If there's anything we feel we need to teach you, we'll just do that. No school needed for that. But we would really like you to come with us, to the university. Just so you're not home alone.

"Really? You guys want me to come with you?".

"Yeah, sure why not Nana?", Yuka says, smiling pleasantly.

Nana jumps up and flies into Kouta hugging him around his waist. "Thank you thank you thank you...".

Kouta, was surprised at first, but then smiled. Yuka smiled too. But most of all, Nana was happy she wouldn't have to go to that school again.

"Now let's prepare some food for dinner, shall we?", Yuka interrupts.

"Yeah!", Kouta adds. "I'll go set the table!".

The rest of the evening the family sat together joyfully, as if completely forgotten about Nyu.

…

RESEARCH FACILITY

Kaito had to plan something like an escape for Lucy. He was forced to proceed with project B the next day. The problem was that there was little room for error, and the transfer that was to occur would be monitored from every angle, to make any form of escape impossible.

It was friday and the night shift was not called for the weekend. Only a few guards did overwatch duty on the rooms. Chamber operators would go home. Security had very few knowledge of chamber operation and their controls. They only knew how to quickly disable the person inside it, using the stun injections. Lucy was still asleep, or at least seemed so. The guard roamed around everywhere but the observatory, since Lucy was so calm. On the other hand, the guard doing duty inside the section of her clone, was constantly watching upon her, ready to push a button as he watched her vectors swirl around furiously.

Lucy drifted in and out of sleep, still groggy from the stun-rounds and drugs she had received. She once more, shifted into a dreamy state…

"...Kouta…"

_She jumped out of the train and spurted off onto a walkway that followed the train for a while up until a point she had to stop next to a tree. She rested her hand onto it. Looking out as the train kept driving away with Kouta in it._

_'Why did he freak out? Did I really do something bad?', she wondered. Tears rolled down her face as she felt hurt finding out that what she had done might be irreversible. For the first time she felt more stupid than ever. 'Kouta... I only wanted you to like me'._

_Days passed by slowly. She roamed around the Kamakura hills and forests. Without Kouta. Never had she spared a human life before. If she wanted to kill, she wouldn't hesitate. But Kouta would never fall under the killing force of her vectors. He was her only true friend. Even more, she felt something for him. Something truly beautiful as it gave her feelings down her stomach she never felt before. Tingling sensations everywhere when he held her hand. Yet now he was gone. And what a goodbye! She had destroyed him completely. She still couldn't feel why, but she could figure out that what she'd done really hurt Kouta so deep, that she felt she had burned all bridges to the slightest grain of friendship._

_She walked around sobbing. Her feelings crashed into each other. Fear, guilt, hate towards herself, and most of all love. Love for somebody she would never be able to be with._

_It started raining, and she ran for shelter. It soon got cold, but she sat all alone. 'Geez, I'm hungry', she thought. ~"I got plenty of pocket money from Dad, so eat up", she remembered Kouta say. 'If only he was here right now... If only he was here then we would go and eat something together. Or at least he'd sit close next to me in this cold'._

_But she had to carry on alone. Then again, the voice came back to her. "You'll have to kill again if you want to stop your hunger, and find a place to sleep"._

_She remembered suddenly. She had signed her 'contract' with the devil. She felt drawn to killing once again. A strong urge took over. Her killing instincts rose to levels they never reached before._

_During that next week she had not stopped killing. The police was onto her as well. She watched TV and noticed that her way of killing might be a clue for the police._

_"Hmm, I might have to cover up"._

_She experimented with ripping blood vessels. Making it seem as if people die from natural causes. Yet at the rate she killed, nearly daily, she couldn't help but trigger suspicion._

_Days were constant, and repetitive. The only thing different, was choosing who to kill next. She would travel a bit away from town to perform another set of executions, but always returned to the centre of Kamakura. Unconsciously planting viruses too._

_She wouldn't have a day go by without solitude. Yet one day, it was different. She sat at a playground, on a swingset, where she resided many times during the past few weeks. A bunch of kids were playing football on the field nearby, and school hours had just ended. A bunch of random students pass by and talk about forbidden love stories. Giggling. 'I really am, all alone', Kaede thought._

_Suddenly a ball flies into her face, forcing her to fall over from the swingset. A boy runs over. "S-Sorry!", and quickly runs back to his group, who quietly laugh about it. 'I should have killed all humans!', she thought._

_Suddenly a girl walks over to her. "Are you alright?", she asked Kaede, who was bleeding heavily by now. "Here, let me help you". The girl goes over to her with a white cloth._

_"N-No don't worry, I'll stain that cloth", Kaede says back._

_"Hmm, well please let me help you. I live in an apartment close by, it's right over there. Please come over!"._

_She didn't have a moment to hesitate. The girl offered her hand to help her up, and she took it._

_"My name is Aiko!", she said smilingly._

_…_

MAPLE INN

It was a great saturday morning and the residents of the maple inn were all woken up by the lovely singing of birds. The early morning air was fresh and Nana breathed it all the way in as she stretched herself out and yawned by the patio.

"Hey Nana", Yuka suddenly shouts. "Could you help set the table?".

Kouta was, as usual, not keen on getting up so early. But Yuka made sure he did. The breakfast table was set, and they all sat together again.

"Weekends are great", Nana said.

Mayu frowned. "Why would you say that?", she said. "You hardly go to school, Nana".

"Uhm? Well oops, that might be true hehe", Nana responds. "But I'm just happy to be with you guys instead of being all alone. Also, Nana is very happy to be allowed to go along with Kouta and Yuka to school".

"Sure, once the weekend is over, you'll be part of our group", Yuka says smilingly.

"I wish I could also come with you guys", Mayu says.

"So how long does this weekend take?", Nana suddenly asks.

"Y-You don't know that?", Kouta asks back.

Nana, blushing kind of shyly. "Not really. Nobody ever tells me stuff like this".

Yuka looks over to Kouta. "Hmm, maybe we should send her to school after all".

"Eh? No please! I'm not going back there!", Nana answers angrily.

"Don't worry, Nana. But we should teach you a lot of things".

Nana bows down obediently. "I guess so…".

"Hey everybody", Yuka suddenly says. "We've planned a trip for today!".

The whole bunch stare off at Yuka.

"We did?", Kouta suddenly asks, receiving an instant elbow kick from Yuka.

"Ouch!"

"You already forgot? We're going to an amusement park today!", Yuka says to Kouta with her teeth clenched as to not let the others hear.

"Oh! Haha! Yes of course THAT", Kouta says. Clearly having forgotten the appointment.

"Amusement park?", Nana asks.

"Yeah, it's a park you go to with friends or family. Where you sit together on fun rides".

"Sounds really fun", Nana says and continues eating.

"It really is!", Kouta says. "It's been long since I've been to one too! We'll definitely have fun today!".

…

Later that day:

"Wooow this park looks so awesome!", Nana shouts as they stand in front of the gates of the yet-to-open amusement park.

In the background they could see numerous flashy-colored roller coasters sitting around waiting for them.

"Hehe, Nana. Be patient now, we'll spend all day here", Kouta says, and pats her head.

Not a moment too soon the park opened it's doors, and the many visitors storm in.

Instead of storming in along with the others, they took their maps to examine the park carefully. Nana's eyes were like pearls lurking out towards the many interesting rides.

"Where to go first?", Yuka asks.

"Hmm, best head off to this side of the park". Kouta points at a spot on the map. "Most of the others always go for the craziest rides first", Kouta says.

Kouta led the rest off into a ghost-section of the park. Nobody else but them were there.

This early in on the day the sun was unusually baking the tarmac. It seemed like it scorched away at it's surface, and at their skin.

"Sure is hot here isn't it?", Mayu says. Kouta nods.

"Hey I have an idea", Yuka suddenly shouts as she looks at the map. "There's a splash-ride nearby!".

"Splash ride?", Nana asks.

"Yeah! It's like right over there".

Kouta points off into the direction of a small mountain with waterfalls. A log flume ride, with a great drop at the end.

"It looks kind of scary", Nana says.

"Haha! Well it's a thrill ride, but it's really great once you're on it!".

"Really? Like really really?".

"Hehe! Really Nana! We came here to have fun after all, right?".

They walk off into the direction of the ride, and luckily, they are the first to arrive. Nobody in line.

"Woaw! I've never had this before. No waiting!", Kouta shouts.

Yuka shouts along. "Me neither! Hey Kouta, we should have done this when we were younger".

"Yeah. But hey, you wouldn't dare go on these rides!".

"H-Heeh? What do you mean by that? You think I'd be scared? Hah! We'll see about that, I'll take front seat!". Yuka storms off into the queue-line and gets ready to go aboard already.

"H-Hey wait for us!", Kouta shouts.

Just a minute later they all sit in the same boat, and venture off into the flume of softly flowing water.

"This is amazing", Nana shouts.

"You think so?", Kouta asks. Wondering whether Nana actually realized what she was on.

Kouta was doing hard to stop himself from laughing too though. Yuka had deliberately chosen the front seat. But that seat is notorious for getting wet the most. He chuckled oftenly, when she angrily looked over, trying to prove herself to Kouta.

Suddenly the boat stopped in the tunnel, turned around, and against Kouta's beliefs, the boat traveled backwards, into a drop!

"Waaahh!", Nana yells, being new to the sensation.

Kouta, completely surprised, yelled out in dismay. "AAagh!".

*SPLASH*

"Hahahahaha!". Yuka laughed. "Now you've got something on you!".

Something stung Kouta in his mind as Yuka said that. But he couldn't tell what. Until suddenly:

*BANG*

The boat smashed into a rubber thumper, and turned around once more.

"EEEH?", yuka yelled, and the boat plunged forward with Yuka on front this time.

*SPLASH*

"Hahahaha", Nana laughs, as she and Mayu sit in the middle, still dry.

"Just you wait", Yuka says, pointing at a section higher up. Nana looks up.

"Huh?".

She sees now how high this ride goes, and also notices the final drop.

"I-I'm scared! I-I wanna get off!".

"Nonono, Nana", Mayu said, calming down Nana. "It's ok, we're dry in the middle most of the times". Or so she wanted to believe at least.

The boat climbed all the way up, and a sense of vertigo struck the four. "Woa I can see our house from here", Nana yelled playfully.

"Haha! Nana you silly girl!", Mayu said back.

"Hey! I'm not silly, I can really see...".

Suddenly the boat stopped, and launched downwards.

"AAAAHHHHH", they all yell, before plunging into the huge volume of water that washed all over them. Yuka being the wettest of all. "That was amazing!", Nana yelled.

After the ride, it was clear who had the most fun. Kouta laughed and laughed time after time when he saw how much water Yuka had been soaked with. He expected her to receive a lot. But not this much! Her pants, and t-shirt were all soaked. But she wasn't amused by this.

"It's not fair!", she says.

"Oh come on", Kouta says, and pats her shoulder. "Let's go and get some drinks!". He stroked through Yuka's partly wet hair. "Cheer up!".

It didn't take long for her to do so. They sat at a small refreshment stand. Kouta had ordered cold drinks for all of them. "Ahh, this is just what I needed", Nana says, and drinks it all up in one go. Kouta looked over to her. Gaping in disbelief of how she managed to pour all that in one go.

"Nana, you should try to enjoy your drink, you know", he said laughingly.

"I know, it's just that… I'm so thristy".

"I know", Kouta said. "Let's cool down on a roller-coaster shall we?".

"Look at that one over there!", Nana said, pointing towards a pink roller coaster.

Kouta checked his map.

"Alright, let's go check it out".

They got up, and traveled into it's direction.

...

They finally reached the entrance and it's waiting line.

"Hey Nana, are you tall enough for this ride?", Yuka asks.

"Ha-ha, very funny", she answers back.

But Yuka was serious. "No really, look at this chart here".

"Of course she's tall enough you silly", Kouta suddenly says. "Let's get in line already, it looks like it's going to take a while before we're on it with this amount of people in the queue".

They stand in line patiently waiting, when suddenly the coaster sheared rapidly away above their heads. Yelling passengers on it. Nana looked out with wide eyes. "I-Is this scary? It really looks scary".

"Nah! It's not that scary, but the thing that makes this one so special, is that it's a standing roller-coaster! You stand up in it", Kouta says.

Nana looked at Kouta with many questions in her eyes.

"Normally you sit down... Nana...", Kouta added.

"Oh I get it... But this thing goes really high, and it goes on your head over there".

"Yeah, that's a looping, but you don't really feel that. You get pushed down in your seat from the forces".

The operators were having trouble at that time. "Hey, take a look at this", the operator shouted to a random worker, pointing at a reading. "The brakes are overheating, we might have to conduct an empty test ride to see whether it's dangerous or not". The worker looked over. "Ok, I see. I'll inform the rest". He runs back and shouts out to the people in the station.

"The next train will have passengers disembark only. We're going to have a train leave empty. Standard procedure test, we're sorry to keep you waiting!".

Kouta listened carefully as the rest seemingly didn't. He sighed deeply.

"What is it Kouta?", Yuka asked.

"A train has to leave empty! What a waste. It's so hot underneath this sun and we have to wait even longer?".

"Uff, I'm so thirsty", Nana cried.

Kouta took his bag from his back.

"Here have this!". He hands Nana a bottle of water. "Drinking is very important, so drink up!".

After a while they finally reach the station and get some shadow. "Finally!", Kouta shouts. They now see their turn rolling in sooner than ever. Nana noticed the operator arguing with a worker.

"It's still increasing? We must do something! Get a water-hose or something!".

"We can't sir! Those brake-blocks aren't rust-free... you know".

"Well at this rate I'll have to shut this ride down! So find a solution!".

"Find a solution? You're the operator!".

Nana started feeling uncomfortable overhearing their conversation.

"Hey Nana!", Kouta suddenly shouts at her. She had lost her attention and the rest was already ready to embark the train. "Stand next to me, hand me your bag quickly".

"Here", Kouta says as he gets into position. "You have to close your harness to restrain yourself. Or no...", Kouta pulls on the restraints but it doesn't seem to come down.

"Listen up, the restraints close automatically, so lift your hands up everybody", a worker shouts.

"Oh so that's how", Kouta responds. Then suddenly the restraints close slowly, and lock into a closed position.

"Hey Kouta, is it normal that you can move sideways like this?".

"Yeah sure why not, as long as you won't fall out, hahaha!".

Kouta was calm but Nana clearly wasn't. She was starting to become more afraid. The harness also made her think of a time she'd rather forget. But it sent a feeling of doom to her mind. She was either stuck in this thing, or afraid to fall out. Also the operator, was more nervous than ever. He was playing around with some parameters on his control board.

"Ok people we're having some technical difficulties with this weather, but fear not, the ride isn't closing, we just need to fix something quickly".

"Don't go and say it aloud you idiot", the operator silently says to the worker.

"Hey, what do you want me to do then?".

"Just shut up!".

A few workers go around to check that the restraints are closed and locked.

"OK", they shouted.

The operator pressed the green button, and off they went. It headed for a chain-lift which pulled them for what seemed like forever. Nana looked down, and then it hit her. Claustrophobia, vertigo, and just a great sense of fear took over. She grabbed Kouta's hand. But to her greatest shock, his face transformed in that of a monster. "We're gonna die here and now Nana, hahaha!".

Just before she could scream in fear, the coaster plunged into a drop sending feelings of weightlessness to her stomach. She panicked so much that her vectors came alive. Pushing away in every direction, but also lifting the roller-coaster off of it's track, breaking it's under-track support wheels. Luckily the train got pushed back down onto the track ahead that sent it upwards. But there it happened. On the top of the climb, with still much momentum left, it launched into the air!

The operators looked up with all the disbelief a human can have in just one split second. The train they operated for years actually flew up into the air off of it's tracks! It didn't matter why, or how. It just happened!

It flew off and shortly after plunged into a perk of bamboo forest in the rear garden of the park. Luckily away from pavements or anywhere park visitors could go. A huge cloud of dust accompanied it's crash.

All the people waiting in line freaked out and mass panic occured. They started drumming in every direction, and many pushed their way out of the line. Others simply looked off into the direction of where the train had crashed. Mouths wide open.

"What the fuck happened, how could it...".

"... I don't know! The brakes were overheating but there's only brakes at the end of the ride so...".

"... So then what the hell happened!?".

"...", the operator stood without words. "Call the emergency service. NOW".

Kouta clenched his teeth and closed his eyes tightly. He opened them slowly. Very bright light entered into his eyes. "Is this heaven?". Then it came to him. "Shit, we crashed? But I'm alive? How?".

Kouta looked around but the train seemed intact. Next to him, Nana sits looking down sadly. All the other passengers were shouting and screaming out for help loudly as sound came back to his ears.

Amongst the many shouting, he could hear Yuka. "K-Kouta! Are you ok?!".

"Yes Yuka! We're fine! How are you two?".

"We're ok too… What happened!?".

An emergency team was quickly on scene. Just a moment later they were freed from the train and lined up for questioning. One by one a safety officer led them inside a small tent that was set up on the crash-site. Nobody was allowed to leave the open field that was surrounded by bamboo forest, and an occasional officer to make sure they didn't.

They sat there underneath the bleak sun waiting for what seemed hours. Kouta, Yuka, Mayu and Nana were silent. They were thinking deeply.

"So strange, I don't think anybody got hurt. We're so lucky!", Mayu suddenly says.

"Hmm", Kouta responds.

A man suddenly comes around. "Come with me please", waving along in Kouta's direction. Kouta stood up and followed him.

They both entered the tent. It was quickly set up and therefore looked like it was empty. Two chairs and a desk. Also in a corner there was a man sitting, making constant phone calls and a lot of paperwork in his hands.

"Sit down please. Let's just go over this as quickly as we can, we've got a lot of interrogation work to do here. Are you hurt?".

Kouta stares off in confusion. "N-No sir!".

"Ok, describe me, in very short, what happened".

Kouta thought a bit.

"It's very vague. But I remember the ride went a bit rough in the first plunge. I think I then closed my eyes and opened them when we already crashed really…".

The interrogator quickly writes down what Kouta had to say.

"So what happened now exactly?", Kouta asked the man.

"We don't know at this point, son. All we know is that there has been severe stress damage. Badly maintained probably. Good all I need is a copy of your ID-card".

"Oh, Ok! Here you go!".

"Thanks... Those girls, are they with you?".

"Y-Y…", Kouta stuttered and instead thought a bit. 'Shit, Nana has no Identification whatsoever!'.

"Yes! They're my family! My sisters and my cousin!".

"Oh, Ok", the man says. "We still got a lot of work to do so go ahead and take them with you, no need to interrogate them".

"O-Ok! Thanks sir!".

Kouta gets up and quickly walks down to take the rest away from the field.

…

"What a day", Kouta says as the four walk away from the bamboo forest. They were heading out back home. They had enough of it for that day, and a phobia for roller-coasters for the rest of their lives.

"Wait", Yuka suddenly said, feeling kind of sick. "I have to go to the toilet".

"Me too", Mayu shouts, and both run off to a nearby toilet building.

Kouta and Nana both stare away at the two running off. "What's that all about", Kouta asks.

Nana sits down a nearby bench. Kouta looks over his shoulder, towards Nana.

He thought deeply, noticed her being a bit off all the time up until now. Not sure what to do next, he looked down at his hands. 'Happy to be alive', he thought to himself, and walked up to sit next to Nana on the bench.

"Very strange, how could we have survived that? I fainted the moment we went airborne but..."

"... It was me", Nana says, interrupting Kouta.

"Huuh?". Shocked and surprised Kouta gets up.

"Don't tell me you... used your powers! Why would you do such a thing!", he shouts angrily.

Nana jumped up. "I was scared!", Nana shouts back and flies into tears. "I was afraid that we would die! So I sort of started pushing with my hands".

"But you managed to land us softly then? I mean, we're still alive".

"I-I'm so sorry Kouta! I always say I will do right, but end up making mistakes so often!".

Kouta couldn't help it. Something about Nana. Innocence maybe. He walked up and hugged her. Nana felt his warm hug. "Don't worry about it Nana…".

Just then Yuka and Mayu return. "...But let's not tell them alright?". Nana nods and smiles, wiping her tears away.

"This is the worst day in history", Yuka says.

"Yeah you look kind of pale... But hey let's hurry to the station, a train is going to arrive soon", Kouta says, looking over towards a clock on that hung from the main building next to them.

Together, and still alive they leave the amusement park with a weird feeling. Kouta felt as if Nana's powers would change the course of their lives at some point. It made him think of Kaede once more. Only just for a split second. But then he got distracted by other thoughts. Clearly noticing his distraction, he tried, but eventually couldn't remember what he was thinking of before he got distracted. A prolific form of amnesia that dominated his memory.

…

RESEARCH FACILITY

"With project B now finally planned for tuesday, we'll be making some progress at last", Kakuzawa says.

Kaito and him were standing inside his huge office.

"But… I will not forgive your disobedience, Kaito!".

Kaito clenches his teeth and grinds them slightly as he tries to hide away his anger for Kakuzawa.

"I have asked you to plan in project B. But other sources have told me that you had let every single opportunity slip! Even though there were no excuses not to execute it. Some even told me you lied to them, to delay the execution of the project, but that remains unsure…"

Kakuzawa turns around once more, to stare out his window.

"There was a time I stood here telling Kurama exactly the same thing. Look where his disobedience brought him. That's right, his own death! I will not let you dwell into his path. Therefore I give you an extra chance".

Suddenly a few security guards run inside the office.

"I cannot trust you in your current position as director. There's something about the function that gives a human being wrong thoughts while at it. I have found a more interesting position that suits you better. At least now you'll finally be able to prove useful!".

Kaito panics as he suddenly feels the guards clench his arms. "What's the meaning of this!".

"It was fun, Kaito. But I bid my farewells! Off to the cell with him!".

"You can't be serious! This is nonsense! Let me go home! Let me see my family! NNAARGH!".

With much resistance, the security manages to pull Kaito away. Away from his freedom. Away from his pride for his function as director. Only to send him down to deepest and lowest. To take him away from his life, himself.

Kaito, was no longer.

…

MAPLE INN

The weekend was over and everybody was up early again. The orange-blue morning-sky shone right into the dining room from the patio. Letting in it's beautiful color pattern. They were all getting ready to leave the house.

"Nana, come along now", Kouta yells, friendlily inviting Nana along.

Mayu had to go by herself now, but she was happy for Nana. "Goodbye, and be good Nana!".

"I will!", Nana replied and painted a lovely smile on her face.

Kouta and Yuka wave away at Mayu as she walks off.

Off they went. Yuka and Kouta discussed the lecture of their class, and as expected Nana didn't understand even a word. She was distracted by the low-flying swallows by the pathway they walked by. She was distracted by so many things. So many beautiful things. Not once would she have wondered, she thought to herself. Not once would she have been able to imagine life could be this beautiful.

The beautiful and crisp aroma's of magnolias and wisterias widely spread across their path. She felt so entitled to this life she thought she'd never have. She closed her eyes, and thanked once more the person that set her free, Papa! But she was grief-stricken when it crossed her mind: Lucy! Still locked up away from them. Would she still be alive? She also deserves a life like this. 'How could I let them take her away', she thought. 'Why are there so many beautiful things in life, and so much evil at the same time? It doesn't add up'. Nana sheds a little tear. Just before Kouta and Yuka could notice, she wipes it away.

They finally arrived at the university's gates. Nana was led in by Yuka and Kouta and immediately noticed how different this was to high school.

"Genetics?", Kouta said. "I didn't know we would get genetics this year?".

Yuka rolled her eyes. "You silly Kouta, it was clearly said many times last year".

"But that's such a boring lecture!".

"Yeah, well the professor is a woman, I've heard. All our professors for all courses are the same as last year, except for this woman".

"How's that?", Kouta asked.

"Well… Since professor Kakuzawa isn't…."

Kouta instantly covered his mouth.

"What's wrong Kouta?".

"N-Nothing… It's just that… I thought of…"

It turned silent for a minute.

"Nyu right? That time the professor took her away from us?".

Kouta looked down sadly, and nodded.

Nana was standing a bit further looking at a large cherry blossom tree that stood in the courtyard.

The bell rang.

"Let's get going", Kouta said. "Nana! Come here!".

She looked over, and smiled. Then ran over.

...

Students filled the auditorium. The new auditorium was built during school vacation. It was a project to improve education on ambiguous subjects such as chance-calculation, quantum-mechanics, but also genetics was amongst the courses that required some extra graphic presentation for it to come over more naturally for the students. The auditorium had a cinema-like interactive screen with an integrated 3D graphics array.

"Woah, it really looks awesome!", Kouta shouts as he enters the auditorium. He gaped his mouth right open.

"Look at the size of the screen. Seems like we won't be having to look closer at the blackboards anymore".

After some time of waiting, most of the students already sat down. Kouta chuckled for a minute.

"What is it?", Yuka asked.

"Imagine if the professor walks in, and knows Nana…".

"I'd freak out!", Yuka yelled back angrily. "Don't say such things".

A nerdy and stumbly figure entered by the front of the auditorium.

"H-Hello students, just let me unpack these…".

Clumsily she unpacks a box of papers and sheets.

Many students roll their eyes. Most of them already annoyed with the fact that it's genetics.

"Now how to turn this thing on", she said, while looking at the computer for the auditorium.

'IT CAN'T BE!', Kouta thought. 'IT'S THAT WOMAN FROM THAT TIME!'.

"It's Kakuzawa's assistant", Kouta whispered to Yuka.

"Uhh?", Yuka suddenly says. "How would you know?".

"That night I looked for Nyu! It was her! She must know more!".

"Kouta…".

Arakawa looked up. "Ok, hello everybody. I will be your professor genetics this year, since Kakuzawa won't be doing it this year. He had an accident and won't be able to teach anymore…".

Kouta swallowed. 'Shit, why does this give me the creeps? Like I remembered something!'

"Yuka", Kouta suddenly whispered whilst thumping into her arm.

"What is it?".

"We must make sure we don't get seen by her. Else we're in trouble with Nana!".

…

After about 50 minutes not paying attention, but instead waiting for class to be over, the time eventually came. Most of the students left the auditorium immediately. Kouta, Yuka and Nana quickly blended in along with them.

"Phew, good thing she didn't notice us and Nana! Imagine if we lost you too Nana!".

Nana felt a bit flattered. "Don't worry guys, they wouldn't capture me too easily".

Just around the other side of the hallway, Kouta noticed Arakawa walk away from the auditorium.

"Ok, girls, I have to go to the toilet, don't wait for me, I'll see you at the next class!", Kouta suddenly says and walks away.

He escaped from Nana and Yuka. 'Good thing I got rid of those two', he thought. 'Now time to find out more about this woman'.

He followed Arakawa all the way to the back courtyard of the school, where students normally didn't go. Just there she dropped her stuff to grab a key, and opened a door that stood lonely on the face of the rear wall of the university.

'Uhh?', Kouta thought. 'A secret area?'. Suddenly his head hurt badly. "Gaah!". He held his head in a tight grip as it throbbed. 'What's this! I really remember something horrible about this place!'.

The door closed behind Arakawa and suddenly shook Kouta back awake. He looked up. 'Shit the door'. He ran towards it and tried twitching the handle. 'As I thought. Locked from one side probably'.

Out of clues, and suddenly noticing a few men by the rear gate, he quickly makes a run for it. 'What a mysterious location, and she's definitely got something to do with Nyu and all!'

…

It haunted Kouta all day. He couldn't concentrate during class and he seemed very distant. On the way back Yuka got curious. "What was with you today? You were so quiet!".

Nana leapt in the back and only faintly heard their conversation. She was once more distracted by the nature surrounding her.

"It's not like I was THAT quiet right?", Kouta answered.

"You were more talkative on the way to school. It's like that woman who you said was related to Kakuzawa, changed you".

Kouta snapped in shock. "W-What? It's not like it was such a big deal. It just reminded me of Nyu".

Yuka looked down sadly, and silence came upon them.

"You know, I really feel so stupid…", Kouta suddenly says. "...Stupid that we couldn't do anything. She seemed out of control and dangerous. My finger still hurts, and Nana still has those injuries hurting her. But I am persistent about it. That wasn't anything like her".

"Kouta… She never said anything different than 'Nyu'. Until that one moment. I don't really understand and we can't really help or bring her back either. We can't even call the cops. It's so unfair coming to think of it. What would have become of her?".

Suddenly a thought rose up in Kouta's mind. Stinging him painfully. ~"Kill and quarantine!".

"Aargh!", Kouta shouts, and clamps his head.

"What's wrong!", Yuka worryingly yells back.

"N-Nothing at all", Kouta answers in slight pain. "It's just that I thought I remembered something…".

"Again? Kouta, we should take it easy. I'll make some onigiri for you!".

"Hmm, I guess so", Kouta answered.

Suddenly Nana jumped into the back of the two. "Did somebody say onigiri?".

…

At the inn Kouta, Nana and Mayu prepare onigiri, while Yuka's doing some laundry.

"So how was your day Mayu", Nana cheerfully asks.

"Oh it was great, we went on a trip to the mountains".

"Really? It was boring with Yuka and Kouta, to be honest".

"Heeh?", Kouta suddenly yells. "Are you serious?".

"Yeah", Nana answers. "Classes were boring and you two always nagged about how boring they were too. But I was happy to be with you guys, I guess".

"This girl, I'll never get her", Kouta says to himself, continuing to cook the rice.

In the distance, outside, they could hear a thunderstorm approaching, with it's accompanied rainfall. Kouta pauses and looks outside the window. "Best close all the doors for this storm".

"Kouta watch out!", Mayu suddenly yells.

"Huh?". The water in the pot started boiling too much and erupted, burning Kouta's hand. "Atatata! Crap how to stop this!".

"You really are not made for the kitchen, Kouta", Nana says teasingly.

"It's not like I signed up for it, did I!", Kouta yells back.

…

After eating their onigiri, Yuka went to take a bath, and Mayu had to attend to her homework. Nana and Kouta sat alone in the living room area.

"It's storming outside. I never knew it could rain this much", Nana said.

Kouta looks outside. Out into the dark clouds. "It's getting dark too".

He couldn't help but feel worried about something. As if Nyu was running outside astray. He thought of her once more. "What are we doing here", he suddenly said.

"Huh?", Nana said back.

"What the hell are we still waiting for!". Kouta got up and balled his fists.

"Are you ok Kouta?", Nana asks.

But without any more words, he grabbed his coat, jumped into some shoes and ran outside.

Nana still sat at the table, looking out in disbelief. "W-Wait for me!".

…

Flashing lightning and thick raindrops dominated the skies. It was very dark for the time of the day. Kouta ran quickly away onto the front courtyard, avoiding it's slippery stones. Nana ran along behind him.

"Nana stay home!", Kouta said whilst running.

"Where are you going!".

Kouta didn't care to stop and explain until they reached the university.

There he stopped and looked at the closed gate in front of him, while Nana finally caught up.

"Oh you forgot something? I thought you were doing something important", Nana teasingly says.

"I didn't forget anything Nana! And you should be wearing your coat in this weather too!", Kouta yells at her slightly angered. "Take mine now, I'll quickly open this gate", he says as he throws it over Nana's head.

Kouta knew this gate wasn't locked by key, it could be opened if you fumbled around the other side. He quickly opened the gate and before they knew it, they were walking around in the courtyard.

"I still think you shouldn't be here Nana, why did you follow me in the first place!".

Nana looked down sadly. "I-I'm sorry, I was curious I guess".

"There's really no need for you to be here", Kouta said as they ran around the building towards that mysterious door".

'Shit, I forgot a paperclip to pick this lock!', Kouta thought.

He twitched the knob, and found that it was still locked. *Sigh

"Need a little help?"

Kouta turns around. "Huh?".

*CLICK

"There, I unlocked it. But of course, there is no need for me to be here, so I'll go back home now".

Kouta grabbed her shoulder.

"Normally I'd insist. But since you're here already, you might just help".

"You really want Nana to help you?".

"Yes! I also don't want to run home in the rain without a coat, but that's another thing".

…

"You didn't bring a flashlight with you?", Nana asks Kouta as they open the door and stare into darkness.

Kouta tries to feel for light-switches but feels there are none. A faint blue light was seen from around a corner.

"It's ok I guess, let's see what's inside here!".

Hallways, with repeating faint blue lights. It lead up to some stairs downwards and a door on the left. It was closed.

Suddenly Kouta remembered. "This is it! This is the underground lab!".

"Huh?".

Just that instant a picture from Kouta's memory stung him; Kakuzawa's head on the floor of these labs.

"AARGH". Kouta fell to his knees and held his head.

"What is it!", Nana shouts as she helps him stay on his feet.

"Something about this place… It's not good".

Nana worryingly looks around into every dark corner these hallways had. A vague 50hz hum of alternating current running through the fluorescent lights. It reminded her of… that place.

Kouta got himself together and stood back on his feet. "Let's keep going, behind this door lies the potential answer".

Nana liked to hear him say that. As if her curiosity would finally be fueled and fulfilled.

Kouta opened the door to the lab. Light turned on automatically. Nothing inside except for a huge amount of boxes.

"Are they moving out?", Kouta said as they looked upon it.

Both inspected the room carefully. "Look at this", Nana said. Kouta went over to see what she grabbed in her hands. It was an aerial photo taken of an island. They looked at each other.

"Could it be…"- Suddenly they heard footsteps in the hallway. "Shit! Seems we're not the only one's here!". He quickly stepped towards the door which had closed behind them before, and locked it. Luckily for them, the key was just sitting on the lock.

Nana ran over and both now listened carefully as steps kept approaching and their ongoing conversation interpretable.

"So you say they saw her with a human, and she didn't kill him? I don't believe it one little bit!".

"It's true really, she killed all those SAT agents and"- *Door knob twitches

"What the… !".

"What's wrong?".

"This door! It's not supposed to be locked. It can only be locked from inside!".

"What? So you're saying…".

"Sshh! You have a gun?".

Kouta tried best to listen, but they started whispering at each other. Fear reached into his mind and he started looking for a place to hide.

"What shall we do", Nana whispered to him.

Kouta quickly runs around in the room they stood, and noticed a door that stood behind a few boxes. Nana kept staring at the lock that was preventing them from being discovered.

"Nana!", Kouta whispered. "Stop at what you're doing and help me get these boxes away from this door".

So she did. Heavy duty material that she smoothly set onto other boxes. It freed before them, a door. Inviting them to hide in whatever area that lie behind it.

Kouta opened the door into another part of the lab. It was this part. His mind suddenly went back in time. A flashback. He looked at the cabinets with broken glass, which hadn't moved position. "That's how it went", he suddenly says.

Nana looked over. Puzzled.

"Professor took her here. She was still Nyu. She must have become her evil self, and killed him! How can it be any different. I thought back then… That she was a poor lost girl. She only said 'Nyu'. Had I known. Had I known all this. If I had not forgotten my childhood then…".

*BANG*

"Shit!", Kouta shouts with a fearful voice. "Where to hide now".

"Don't worry", Nana whispered. "When we closed this door I placed the boxes back in front of this one. I'm holding them right now! They will never be able to move them and enter this room!".

In the other room, the two goons search around underneath the tables and inside some cabinets.

"Check the closets too! Somebody must still be here!".

"Hey, check this out", the other one says.

"What is it you found?".

They both stare at the lock of the main door.

"I see, the key has been taken off. Nobody ever does that".

"Could it be that somebody has been secretly visiting this lab, and clumsily took the key off this door and locked it behind them?".

"How would they ever get past the door leading outside? Those keys were exceptionally given to Kakuzawa's son, his assistant and us...".

Both men think.

"Her assistant ey? I haven't seen her for a while…".

"Yeah… Hey we haven't checked the lab area yet".

They walked over towards the door.

"We placed boxes here in front of the door last time?".

"I don't remember, last time was with the team of workers. They were undereducated idiots if you ask me. One even dropped one of those samples. You realize how dangerous it could have been. If it was fully grown it could have all infected us! I don't know about you but if my kids get born with horns, I'd surely kill myself!".

Upon hearing that, Kouta and Nana were shocked.

"Yeah I know what you mean, let's just get the stun serum boxes onto the shipment. With the current situation in the facility you can never be too stoked on those".

'Facility?', Kouta thought.

"Those boxes. Where are they?"

The other man looked around. "Well not here I guess. They must be in the lab next to this one".

Nana suddenly held the boxes, that kept the door blocked, firmly gripped.

"Help me here will ya? Hmmpff".

They push and push but their feet slide from underneath themselves rather than getting the boxes any inch further.

"What is going on, I don't remember these boxes being this heavy".

"Hmmm… Well we really need the serum. If we return without them, it's our head on a stick. Remember last time Kakuzawa was pissed off? Yeah exactly, don't do it again".

They started pushing for what seemed hours, not very keen on giving up. "What in fuck's name is this? It weighs like lead!".

Gasping in air and sweating like pigs they slide down to their knees. "It's no use. We need help here. Can you call those workers?".

"No way man, we'd have to fly back to the island and the pilot's in no mood for that!".

'Island?!', Kouta thought. He and Nana shared eyes.

"Here I found the solution", one of them suddenly says.

Without the other one's reaction except for heavily breathing, it went silent for a while. When suddenly. *BANG*

A hammer was beating on a wall between them. Kouta remembered. When they had entered the area the others now stood in for the first time. An object oddly out of place. A large hammer. It smashed into the wall like Thor's.

Kouta and Nana panicked once more. They saw large container-like contraptions standing beside them. "Quickly let's hide in one of these", Kouta said.

Nana looked around but couldn't find any better solution either.

"Shit", Kouta says, as he twitches the openings. "They are locked!".

Nana flew over towards it, and recognized the lock right before her vector dug into it, and clicked it open. "There!".

The hammer suddenly breached through the wall, which was rather thin. It broke out the rest of the debris in no time, making for an opening large enough for two to fit through.

"Phew. Well I'll tell you, sometimes you just have to be creative. This lab is decommissioned anyway. Here, grab the hammer and make sure the opening is large enough for the serum supplies to be carried through".

From the container, Nana and Kouta, closely packed onto each other, do their best to keep down their breathing.

After enlarging the opening, they finally go around to pick up the supplies.

"Here let's pick it up together. It looks heavier than it actually is".

To Kouta's greatest horror, he suddenly feels their container pulled aloft. He can almost not keep down his breathing as he panics.

"See? I told you this was lighter than it looked".

What the men did not know, was that a diclonius, a creature they feared most, was using her vectors to make it seem so.

Against Kouta's beliefs, Nana was not panicking as much as he was. Almost as if everything went as planned. They were put down, and hear a few doors close.

"There, job finished. So what are you going to do tonight? Bar maybe?".

"I don't know, with this weather I'd rather stay home with my family".

"Yeah, I'd do so too!".

Both men step away from the van and Kouta and Nana escape from their container, only to find themselves in the back of a van. "Shit", Kouta said. "We have to get…".

Suddenly the men came back, and they hid behind a few boxes. Just in time, as the doors opened and they placed some extra boxes inside.

"That concludes the shipment right? You sure? We're not returning right?".

"Yeah yeah, let's get on with it".

The doors slam, the engine starts, and off they went.

Kouta tripped in panic. His heart beating all through his body. Pounding.

"We best get inside these containers when we stop again", Nana said suddenly. "This will take us straight to the island! We finally got a chance to get Lucy back!".

But in Kouta's mind, that wasn't really what he wanted. At first he liked the idea of being able to get her back. But as it seemed to be happening and going on now, he wasn't too sure about it anymore. He was afraid of it.

He would bail out if he could, but Nana seemed persistent. He also didn't want to back out on her either. So to his greatest dismay, and horror, he had to stay. He took some time to think of it all, as he sat down and held his hand over his head.

Nana came to sit next of him. "You know", she said. "I never thought I'd go back to that place. But with you here, I feel much more courage. Because I know now, that you'll finally understand what it's like there".

Kouta felt himself becoming sick as he heard her say that. He didn't want to find out. All he could reply in a monologue manner was: "Nyu…".

The van suddenly stopped and the engine was killed, and not any sooner they crawled back into their container. They felt themselves carried along once more. Nana felt she could smite the two easily, but wouldn't. She wanted to go back to the island. She wanted to be able to fulfill her mission.

In a sudden way they were dropped onto a metal surface, and they could hear a helicopter spooling it's engine. 'This is it', Kouta thought. 'It's all or nothing'. A surge of power engulfed him. A sudden streak of courage entered his heart and mind. The chopper lifted off, from the Kamakura soil, and traveled far, far away. Past the shoreline. **A one-way unprepared ride that would take them to a place away from this world.**


End file.
